Sister Insane
by Lukas-the-Trickster
Summary: This is the sequel to Realm of Madness and the continuing story of Battle Sister Damasious the Ever Silent. When a Cardinal arrives from Terra on a secret and important mission the Battle Sisters descend onto a Shrine World where all is not as it seems. This story is rated M for violence and torture.
1. Chapter 1

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.** _

* * *

_Fidem et Ignis _and her sister ship _Malleus et Incudem_ emerged from the Warp almost simultaneously. Both cruisers were three kilometres of gilded spires, high gothic arches and gigantic stained glass windows. At first glance they would appear to be nothing more than enormous floating monasteries and in many ways that assumption would be correct but they were so much more than that. These were battle cruisers; beneath each intricately detailed arch was a gun battery of immense power or hanger bay lined with squadrons of fighters and troop carriers. Of the two vessels the _Fidem et Ignis _was the most ostentatious and the most heavily armed, being the flagship of the newly appointed Canoness Allria it made sense for it to be so. Her prow mounted ram bearing the shape of an Imperial Aquilla, its golden wings folded back and heads leaning forwards as if diving in for the kill. It was here that the ships nova cannon was mounted, its barrel jutting from the eagles body, when fired it would appear as if the beam had been produced from the Aquilla's heart. Every single panel of the ships matte black hull was inlaid with silver scripture and prayers, every gun barrel ending in the open beak of a golden eagle. At the ships stern gigantic plasma engines blazed with blue light though in the void they were utterly silent, propelling the cruiser to its destination.

Within the bowls of the _Fidem et Ignis_, amidst the maze of corridors and sealed off to most of the ten thousand strong crew, was the barracks of the Adepta Sororitas. Two full decks had been refitted to accommodate half the Preceptory with the other half aboard the _Malleus et Incudem. _Here the corridors were lit by braziers and the constant sweet scent of incense hung in the air. They had separate food halls, shooting ranges, close combat training cages and most importantly of all, chapels.

Amongst all of this were the Sisters privet quarters. Some lavishly decorated and adorned, others filled with only the basics a woman would need. It was inside one of these rooms, one that contained only a single bed draped with a deep crimson silken sheet on one side of the room and a desk with a mirror above it on the other, that a woman sat in silence. In one corner a small marble statue of Saint Katharine sat atop a wooden table surrounded by burning candles of white wax. She inhaled deeply and the calming incense she had lit filled her nostrils. She had cleared a space on the ebony desk, pushing aside a pile of papers and books so that she could lay out a small needle and two metal bars. Next to these was a small pot of anti-septic liquid, some cotton wool and a bag containing four tiny metal balls. She looked up into the mirror; there was sadness in her hazel eyes. Idly she caressed the tattoo on her right cheek, a black rose with a single drop of ruby blood falling from its petals. That was the mark she had been given on the day she took her Oath, the day she had become a fully fledged Battle Sister. It represented her duty and her devotion to the Emperor of mankind. All of her Sisters had one and almost every Sister had the image repeated in some way on another part of their body. They wore them with pride as they would a battle scar.

Battle Sister Damasious the Ever Silent however had many scars she did not proudly display, both mental and physical. She glanced down at her left arm where three letters had been carved into her pale flesh. They stood prominent pink, starting below the bend of her elbow they spelt out a name. Damasious felt her eyes filling with tears as she read it...

Kai.

With a hiss of anguish she looked away and back up into the mirror. Her haunted gaze glared back at her. Her jet black hair streaked with blue was closely cropped at the sides of her skull but her fringe kept long and brushed so that it fell over her left eye to her cheek. In either side of her bottom lip two silver rings glinted in the flickering candle light. Damasious had once been a fresh faced youth, full of enthusiasm and bluster despite her painful childhood. Now she was pale and drawn, her cheeks seemingly hollow and her eyes that had once been bright and glittering now filled with pain and hatred. She had once been told she was beautiful by a blushing and somewhat drunk Cadian Guardsman who had taken a liking to her when she had served alongside them at the Eye of Terror. Looking at herself now she wondered if he would still feel the same way or would he see only her resentment and pain? It seemed as if the life had been drained from her, leaving only a shell behind.

Flicking her hair aside she took the needle from her desk and wiped with the cotton wool dipped in the anti septic. Retrieving two of the balls from the bag she screwed them to the bottom of each of the curved bars. Looking back into the mirror she took a deep breath and pulled out the flesh of her right eyebrow. Exhaling she pushed the needle through, enjoying the cleansing pain. A moment later she felt the rush of adrenaline and sighed in satisfaction. Withdrawing the needle she took one of the bars and pushed it into the hole before screwing a third ball to the other side. She dabbed away the blood. A few minutes later she had repeated the action, placing the second bar a couple of millimetres away from the first. These were the seventh and eighth piercings she had given herself over the years. Apart from the rings in her lip she had three in the top of her left ear and a bar in her right breast. Pain was something she'd learned long ago could remove you from reality even if only for a moment or two. Damasious leaned back in her chair enjoying the brief euphoria as adrenaline surged through her blood to counteract the dull ache forming around her eye socket.

Her attention was dragged back to reality when her door chime sounded. Damasious already knew who it would be. Despite being naked from head to foot she rose and padded across red carpeted floor and pressed the hatch release, stepping out of sight of the corridor before it hissed open. Her assumption had been correct. Sister Superior Amendera stood in the door way, her arms folded and tucked inside the wide sleeves of her black robes. Her lustrous blonde curls spilled over her shoulders as she stepped over the threshold.

Amendera was beautiful, in Damasious's mind she was the essence of female perfection. Her features were noble with high cheek bones and narrow sweeping jaw. Her skin flawless and gently tanned. Amendera too carried the rose tattoo upon her cheek and that seemed only to enhance her beauty. Hers however had an additional blood drop below the first; the significance of this however was unknown to Damasious.

Damasious wandered back to her desk and started clearing up her piercing remnants. Amendera closed the door behind her, when she turned her emerald eyes fell upon Damasious and she smirked.

"One day I will come in here and you will be wearing something." She approached the shrine in the corner and lit one of the candles that had flickered out.

Damasious shrugged at her remark and sat down on the bed, tucking her knees to her chest.

Amendera turned the room's only chair to face Damasious, the smile on her red painted lips fading slightly. "How are you?"

Damasious made a "so-so" gesture with her hand and Amendera nodded.

"I wish you could tell me exactly what happened on that hell world." She said solemnly, "We lost so many Sisters, Damasious you are the only survivor you count yourself lucky."

Lucky? Damasious shook her head, always the last one out, always the last one alive. Amendera had taken a special interest in Damasious ever since she had been assigned to her command a month after or so after Kai's disappearance and a week after Damasious former unit was slaughtered by Dark Eldar. Amendera knew very little of Damasious' history, everyone who had ever known Damasious before her oath of silence was dead. No one had heard her speak for fourteen years and Damasious wasn't about to change that now, it had been so long even she had forgotten the sound of her own voice. Damasious did not know why Amendera had chosen to show her so much attention. Perhaps she thought she could help her. That notion amused Damasious. She was far beyond help now. Her scars proved that.

"I know you were close to Sister Kai before she disappeared." Amendera continued.

Damasious could not meet the Superiors gaze, close was an understatement. No one knew just how close they had become or the things they had shared, the nights of sinful bliss.

"When we came to pick you up, I saw her body," Amendera sighed, "and I know it was you who ended her life. I'd recognise wounds made by Storm Fang anywhere."

Damasious looked past Amendera to a glass cabinet that hung on the wall. Inside was Storm Fang, a weapon Damasious had wielded for close to sixteen years. It was a stunning weapon forged by master Iron Priests a millennia or more before she had been born; it had been gifted to her in the final breaths of one of the most powerful warriors Damasious had ever known. Longer than she was tall, Storm Fang was a Frost Blade of incredible power and design. Its black casing inscribed with silver runes she knew the meaning of but had never spoken aloud since learning them, its grip wrapped in blue stained leather that had worn and been replaced dozens of times. Its pommel was formed of a snarling wolfs head with eyes made of sparkling sapphires. Its teeth were onyx black diamond that could tear through almost all known materials. Despite its size and apparent weight Storm Fang was as nimble as rapier and Damasious had honed her skills to perfection. With Storm Fang in her grasp there wasn't a soul aboard the ship that could best in her in the cages, it was as if the weapon itself was alive with the souls of all those that had wielded it before her. There were times she swore she could feel them in her blood, pushing her to the limits of her strength and endurance and then beyond when she needed it, like they became part of her, infusing her with all their knowledge and experience. Perhaps that explained why she always remained standing when everyone else had fallen. Perhaps they were keeping her alive for some purpose she had yet to fathom.

Amendera gave Damasious a pitied look, "If she had turned, I can't image how that must have felt."

Damasious did not respond. Once again Amendera had greatly underestimated the impact of those brief minutes when Damasious had once again come face to face with Kai. Her oldest friend and the only person she had ever truly loved. It had broken her spirit and perhaps even her faith. She wondered sometimes if it had broken her mind.

"Damasious, I have known you now for a long time and yet I do not know you at all. No one does."

Amendera rose from her chair as Damasious reached up to wipe a tear from her eye.

She took Damasious' hand, "I only came to say that I am here if you ever need me. For anything." She kissed Damasious gently on the top of the head and left without another word.

Damasious curled into a ball, her back pressed to cold chamber wall. Her skin prickled but she paid no heed to the chill. Storm Fang had all but made her immune to the touch of ice, another odd side effect of wielding the blade. She stared at it remembering the day it had been passed to her. She saw the face of the man who had been Storm Fang's master and in his eyes the ghosts of all those that held Storm Fang before him. In her mind she heard a distant howl carried across the wind. It was a mournful sound, one that echoed the shadow that had fallen upon her soul.

* * *

Ten Battle Sisters walked in two rows of five, side by side, in silence. All were dressed in their ceremonial power armour. While it still retained the practical functions of any suit of Adepta Sororitas armour, it was far more ostentatious. Instead of standard matte colour scheme, each suit was polished to a mirror shine black with silver trim, except Amendera's whose armour was trimmed in gold to signify her rank as Superior. Each suit was a slimmer fit, hugging each Sisters frame more closely to further emphasise particular assets. Their boots were high heeled to give additional height for a more imposing stature. Knee guards were formed of leering silver skulls and a silver Aquilla was emblazoned on their gorgets. Each sister wore a waist sash of deep crimson fabric as well as their leather ammo belts and bolt pistol holsters. To complete the look every Sister had brand new purity seals attached to their armour with red wax. None of them wore their helmets, these were hung from their hips on magnetic clamps, instead each Sister had applied appropriate make up as they saw fit. Damasious had gone for her usual, black lipstick and eye liner. She walked at the back of the group, behind seven Sisters she knew and two she didn't. Sisters Grace and Ava had been added to the unit in the two months Damasious had been out of action following her confrontation with Kai.

She remembered very little of what had happened on that hell world, its name forgotten despite the short space of time since she had been there. What she could remember was a blur of blood and bullets, screaming faces and dying Battle Sisters. Damasious' recollection of the hours following her duel with Sister Kai was hazy at best. Amendera had arrived in a storm of gunfire and death like an avenging golden haired Angel to haul Damasious to safety. Side by side they had battled through hordes of mutants and traitors. Damasious recalled the pain of her wounds dragging her to and from consciousness but Storm Fang never stopped moving. With her left arm around Amendera's shoulders Damasious wielded the blade one handed, cutting down any mutant that got to close. Eventually she'd been bundled aboard a shuttle and after that she remembered nothing but blackness and sorrow until she woke up in the infirmary a month later. Even now despite being fully healed, her wounds would ache, dull reminders of one of her darkness moments.

Damasious' attention was dragged back to the present by the sound of engines powering up. Beneath her boots the steel plate floor gave way to a mesh walkway as the procession passed into the cruisers main hanger bay. Damasious looked down to the gigantic space below, where dozens of servitors and maintenance crews prepared an Aquilla Lander and a Storm Raven for departure. Damasious was surprised by the sight of the Storm Raven, in her experience it was only the Adeptus Astartes with access to them. Canoness Audeniana had clearly had some very good connections within the Adeptus Mechanicus, contacts her replacement Canoness Allria had likely maintained.

Canoness Allria herself was present on the hangar deck, a crimson and white furred cloak draped across her shoulders caused her to stand out prominently from the drab grey uniforms of the rest of the crew. Hearing footsteps she turned and looked up, a smile creasing her lips as she regarded Amendera's squad descending into the hangar.

"I knew I'd made the right choice selecting your unit for this assignment." She remarked as the Sisters lined up in front of her.

Allria walked along the row inspecting each Sister and nodding approvingly. Damasious met her stern gaze as Allria reached the end of the row. Her brown eyes narrowed in concern for the briefest of moments as she regarded Damasious but in a second the odd look was gone, replaced by satisfaction.

She rubbed her crimson gloved hands together, "Excellent."

Damasious grimaced, wondering what exactly the Canoness had been thinking.

Allria was an imposing woman. One who had likely seen and done it all more times than Damasious could count. It had always been said she would one day take the mantle of Canoness but no one had expected it would be so soon. Sister Audeniana had been slain along with so many other sisters during the very same mission Damasious had survived two months prior. She'd been one of the sacrifices made to bring Kai out of the warp. Damasious still blamed herself for her death and the others. Kai had been looking for Damasious and Audeniana had been caught in the aftermath of a broken heart. Kai had brought about the destruction of an entire world just to see her former lover again, though her actions had been manipulated by the will of another.

Damasious shuddered, trying to push the thoughts from her mind. She tried to focus on something else.

Allria seemed to have taken to her new position with ease, though Damasious could see lines in her skin, especially around her eyes that had not been there the last time she had seen her. Allria too had dressed in ceremonial armour, hers even more ornate than the other Sisters as fitting with her rank. Her greying, brown hair was tied into a ponytail and her lips painted a glossy red.

"Cardinal Valten will be here shortly and you will escort him to the surface. Once there you are not to leave his side. Valten is there to retrieve something of extreme value to the Imperium, its and his safety is paramount. He will brief you further during the decent. Dessinisima is a Shrine World however and it is incredibly unlikely his life will be threatened, never the less I expect you all to be on full alert at all times." Allria eyed each Sister as she spoke to emphasis her point, "Clear?"

"You can count on us Canoness." Amendera replied stiffly.

Damasious looked past Allria through the void shield to the lush green and blue world of Dessinisima below. She had heard only rumours of what it was like on the surface. People spoke of beautiful forests and sparkling oceans. They said the cities had been carved into the mountains themselves and that the Cathedrals towered above all else in their magnificence. She was told of winding cobbled roads and a happy satisfied people who lived in the safety of the Emperor's light. It was known as a paradise, a place re-discovered during the Great Crusade and since largely ignored by the Imperium as a whole and as such it remained untouched by the industrial machine.

"Attention!" Allria ordered and the Sororitas snapped ramrod straight, Godwyn De'az drawn across their chests, all except Amendera and Damasious who did not carry Boltguns, instead their arms fell by their sides.

To the left one of the Hangars's many access portals opened with a hiss and Cardinal Valten entered. To Damasious's surprise he was not draped in finery and riches like most of the High Priests and Deacons she had met. Valten wore a simple tunic of royal blue with a gold trimmed collar and cuffs. He wore a cuirass of golden metal, with an ivory Aquilla across the chest. Around his waist a wide black leather belt was buckled with another Aquilla and a Plasma pistol holster hung at his hip. He wore a pair of golden greaves and his outfit was completed by a dozen purity seals attached to his armour and clothing by green wax. His skull was cleanly shaven, with scripture tattooed the left side of his head. His features were hard and sharp like a hawk, finished off by a pointed black goatee. If anything he looked less like a cardinal and more like an Imperial Guard General even with the entourage of scribes and hooded priests following in his wake.

"At ease ladies." He countered Allria's order with a dismissive gesture of his hand. "This may seem unusual to you I know but I will explain everything once we are on the move and speed is paramount." His voice was gravelly but powerful; Damasious could easily imagine him giving sermons without the need for a voice amplifier.

He nodded to Allria as his entourage boarded the Aquilla shuttle. She gestured to the Storm Raven. Valten reached out and shook her hand before walking up the ramp. Allria turned to the assembled Sisters.

"Do me proud ladies. Amendera, move out."

"Sisters on me!" Amendera ordered and the procession turned as one to ascend into the darkness of Storm Raven's troop compartment.

Damasious felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach as her boots thunked against the ramp. It was almost as if she could feel Storm Fang shuddering in its sheath on her back. She gulped; the contents of her guts seemed to bubble like a boiling pan of water. As she was bathed in the eerie green glow of the compartments lights a cold sense of dread had settled in her mind. Something was awry but what she couldn't fathom what. This was just a routine retrieval right? She shook her head, how many times had routine turned to shit storm in an eye blink?

Inside the Storm Raven had been converted to house Sororitas instead of Astartes that meant the oversized restraining harnesses were gone in favour of regular sized seating. Damasious was last in and hit the hatch switch with her fist. Above her head a red light began to flash as the ramp whirred closed. She carefully strapped Storm Fang into an over head locker and sat down to buckle herself in. This was not a combat drop so the restraint bars remained open.

Opposite her sat Sister Emilia, who smiled when she caught Damasious's gaze. Emilia had already been a member of Amendera's unit before Damasious had been assigned to her fourteen years earlier. She was a pleasant woman, thick black hair and handsome features. She had been scarred though, two pink lines bisected the left side of her face turning one of her blue eyes a milky white. How she had received them Damasious did not know, Emilia never spoke of it.

Damasious felt the Storm Raven lurch as it began to lift off the deck and the green light changed to amber. Though muted by the metal walls she could hear the engines growling as they propelled the air craft up and out of the void shield and into space. There were no windows to look through but Damasious could imagine the _Fidem et Ignis _growing steadily smaller behind them as the Raven blasted away towards Dessinisima below.

After several minutes of silence Valten finally spoke.

"Sisters, what I am about to tell you is information privy only to a select few. I'm only telling you so that you can fully understand the gravity of the situation we have found ourselves in."

No one said anything but a few uneasy glances were exchanged and Damasious felt a knot in her stomach again.

"A week ago while digging beneath one of the Cathedral's in Dessinisima's capital city, Dellimya, the crew discovered a secret chamber. Originally the plan had been to extend the crypts that were already in place but when they knocked the wall down they realised that it was fake. What they found appeared to be a laboratory that was empty except for one container." Valten paused as if judging how to carry on. "Inside the container were several items, including something the High Lords believe to a sample of genetic material, the same materials the Emperor used when he created the Primarchs."

Amendera let out a gasp of surprise. Damasious frowned, how could they possibly know that's what it was? Luckily Sister Mira had been thinking the same thing and the fiery red headed Sister, with purity seals woven into her hair cleared her throat.

"With respect Cardinal how can you be certain of this?"

Amendera shot her a disapproving glance for speaking out of turn but did not challenge the Sister; instead she looked to Valten who nodded slowly.

"I am not certain but the High Lords are, how they came to this conclusion has not been shared with me. I am here simply to recover the item and return it to Terra. They trust me to complete this task and I will not question their orders."

"But why not send Astartes or the Adeptus Custodes?" Amendera finally broke her silence, her curiosity peeked.

Valten did not seem to mind being asked these questions however, he seemed if anything pleased to be able to tell someone. "The Custodes will not leave the Emperor's side even for something like this." He paused, "It is likely if this information gets out then the traitor enemy of mankind may seek to claim it for themselves, use it to their own dark desires. The High Lords decided that keeping this as low key as possible reduces the risk, two Sororitas cruisers visiting a Shrine World is nothing unusual and is unlikely to attract unwelcome attention."

"What do the High Lords intend to do if it is what they say?" Mira asked quietly. "Could they make another Primarch?"

Valten shook his head, "I do not know, it is unlikely, that information was lost a millennia ago but it matters little. A discovery like this is unprecedented and dangerous whether it can be used or not."

Silence descended in the cabin. Damasious knew of the Primarchs, knew their names, those who remained loyal and those who did not. They had perhaps been the most powerful creatures in the universe save the Emperor himself. At the back of her skull an ache began to form, her earlier unease returning. If what Valten said was true she couldn't possibly imagine the implications. A new Primarch perhaps or something far worse if it fell into the wrong hands. She gripped the edges of her restraint seat, knuckles turning white inside her gauntlets. It was a common belief that there were things in the universe that should stay buried. Damasious began to wonder if this should have been one of them.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.** _

* * *

It was an uneventful trip to the surface, one spent in silence as each Sister and perhaps Valten himself, contemplated the gravity of the situation. No one moved, even Sister Ella barely flinched when the Storm Raven hit turbulence, despite her conditioning and training she'd never quite gotten over the fear of flying. Damasious kept her head down and her eyes closed. Her hands remaining clasped in her lap to stop them from shaking. Shuddering memories came and went, she clenched her teeth as waves of sorrow and regret broke against her subconscious. In the quiet of the cabin with nothing to occupy her mind, her thoughts had once again fallen upon Kai. She could see her smiling face the day they taken the Oath. How happy they had both been. Damasious found her thoughts drifting to the same night.

* * *

Tears were falling down Kai's face when Damasious opened her door late into the evening. Before Damasious could speak Kai pushed her inside and closed the hatch behind them. Kai wiped her sapphire eyes, pushing a strand of white hair from her face.

"I...I need to tell you something." She whispered.

Damasious opened her mouth to reply but Kai raised her hand.

"No, don't say anything not yet. Damasious I..." she looked away. Damasious could see the pain in her eyes.

It made her stomach knot, she hated seeing Kai upset. What could have possibly happened in the short space of time since taking her Oath?

"I've needed to say this for a long time and I never could." Kai sighed, "Now I have to, today we became Sister Militant and one of us could die on any mission in matter of weeks."

Damasious' fingers came up to touch the fresh black rose tattoo on her own cheek. It still stung. She had no fear of death, no Sister did. Dying for the Emperor in combat was the most glorious thing she could imagine.

Kai continued, gulping audibly, "I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I never told you that...that..."

Damasious reached out to take Kai's hand. Her heart hammered in her chest, her mind working overtime to figure what Kai was trying to say.

"That I love you." Kai finished finally looking Damasious in the eye.

Elation exploded in Damasious' heart. She grinned involuntarily. For so long she had longed to tell Kai the very same thing. Since they had been children they had been friends, training, studying and praying together. Never apart from each other. In her teens Damasious had become attracted to Kai but she never had the confidence to say anything and fear of retribution should anyone find out made it all the worse. She had known in her own mind back then however that Kai did not feel the same and telling her would have brought an awkward end to a friendship she cherished. It seemed Damasious had been wrong and here Kai stood, admitting the same feelings. Damasious felt a tear of joy run down her cheek. Before Kai could say another word Damasious leaned in and kissed her.

It felt like an explosion of white light in her soul. As she pushed her fingers into Kai's hair and felt hands sliding down to her hips in response Damasious knew she would never experience such happiness again. She pulled Kai closer, enjoying the close proximity of their bodies. She felt a hand rest on her neck as their kiss became more passionate. In the pit of her of her stomach a new sensation overwhelmed the butterflies she had just moments before. It grew the closer they became, Damasious realised her hands had begun to wander, as had Kai's. She felt Kai pushing her gently towards the bed and her robes fall away from her flesh. Kai's soon followed suit. Damasious could feel her blood rising, her desires overpowering all else. Suddenly years of pent up lust surged forth in one ferocious wave.

Damasious lifted Kai from her feet, turning her in the air she threw her Battle Sister on to the bed, a wicked smile on her black painted lips. Kai moaned, her excitement obvious in her eyes. As Damasious clambered alongside Kai grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her close. They kissed again this one more intense than that last but Damasious broke it, her lips travelling down Kai's neck and chest in slow deliberate movements. Kai responded by sinking her teeth in Damasious' shoulder causing a gasp of pleasure to escape her lips. She felt Kai's finger tips as they trailed lightly down her abdomen and lower...

* * *

With a thud the Storm Raven touched down on Dessinisima. Damasious' eyes snapped open, barely aware of how much time had passed. Her thoughts returned to the present but now a great weight of anguish had settled on her shoulders. She undid her harness, fighting back tears as she did so. She turned briefly and caught Amendera watching her. There was a moment, their eyes locked, Amendera half smiled and nodded knowingly. Damasious looked away, feeling a tear break free and dampen her cheek. A hand touched her arm. Damasious looked around to find Sister Mira stood at her side.

"Are you alright Sister?"

Damasious nodded, embarrassed that someone else had noticed her discomfort.

Mira smiled sweetly and looked away to begin unloading her equipment.

Damasious reached up to take Storm Fang from the locker. Her fingers wrapped around the weapons hilt and she felt it shudder in her grasp. In her mind she heard a canine whimper of sympathy. Perhaps it knew what she felt. Storm Fang had exorcised a demon from Kai's body, it had helped Damasious save her. Damasious had often wondered about that, wondered if Storm Fang was indeed sentient as she had begun to suspect, she dared not imagine the implications if anyone else found out. But had it saved Kai's soul as well as her body from corruption? Damasious strapped the frost blade across her back and punched the hatch release switch. She would likely never know either way, she hoped Kai had been forgiven her and she hoped the Emperor would forgive her too. She swallowed, biting back the pain for the moment. In her mind she heard a reassuring growl.

She had a job to do.

As the hatch lowered and the soft morning light spilled in the first thing Damasious noticed was the smell of Dessinisima. It was not bad, rather empty... she searched for the right word and found it surprised her. Fresh. Setting foot on any Imperial world usually brought with it the scent of industry, fumes from factories, body odour or insecticide chemicals from agricultural land. There was always the smell of life whether it was food from cafes or alcohol from local bars. Not here though, the air was clean and cool. It was strange. Not in any way unpleasant, just alien.

Amendera came to stand next to Damasious, her hand resting on the pommel of her sheathed power sword.

"I want you next to me at all times." She said quietly.

Damasious nodded though she was unsure why Amendera required her close presence.

Valten exited the Storm Raven first, his boots hitting the concrete before the ramp had fully lowered. Amendera said nothing but she didn't need too, her squad was already lined up behind her.

They emerged side by side again, two rows of five into the shadow of a mountain. Damasious breath caught in her throat at the vision laid out before her. Dellimya was truly a magnificent sight; nestled in the shadow of tall lush green trees, it had been built onto the side of the mountain itself. Each building was a dull iron grey but stood tall, some leaning, with blue tiled roofs. Its streets were narrow and winding, weaving their way up the slopes in seemingly random directions with only a few open plazas. Even these seemed filled with market stalls. It was not madness of the streets that amazed Damasious the most however. Splitting the city in half was a river, broken here and there by waterfalls of crystal clear water that sparkled in morning light. Her eyes followed the shimmering water to its source, a cathedral bigger than any Damasious had seen outside of Terra. It had been carved into the mountain, most of it hidden from view beneath tonnes of rock and earth. Great iron doors stood open and it was from here the river flowed. Above the doors a gigantic stained glass window showed the Emperor in his full glory, dressed in his glittering golden armour, flaming sword in hand. He stood at least fifty feet high and even at this distance Damasious could make out every detail of his exquisite armour. She felt her heart stop; his eyes seemed to bore into her soul. There was a swell of pride deep in her chest.

Only three men waited for them. All of them dressed in grey robes, hoods raised. Valten approached the first man.

"You must be Deacon Emmanuel Jyanheist."

"That I am my Lord. Cardinal Valten then, I presume?" he asked in a thin voice.

With a nod the man lowered his hood to reveal a thin aged face. His eyes watery blue and his skin carried a similar texture to parchment. His skull like Valten's was shaven but no tattoos adorned his thin flesh. He bowed deeply, his accomplices did the same but did not lower their hoods.

"Take me to the chamber, time is short." Valten said stiffly. He turned and gestured to his own entourage as they disembarked from the Aquilla transport. "Wait here. I will not be long. Amendera with me."

"Of course Cardinal." Amendera nodded, "Sister Grace, Sister Ava, remain with the shuttles but maintain contact."

Damasious noted that both rookie sisters seemed disappointed but did not complain, instead they took up guard stances either side of the Storm Raven ramp.

"Ah the presence of the blessed Battle Sisters is not required." Jyanheist waved his hand dismissively.

Amendera shared a bemused glance with Damasious. Sister Mira muttered something under her breath but Emilia nudged her quiet.

Valten's eyes narrowed, "I require them. Given the circumstances I'd assume you'd agree."

Jyanheist eyes widened, "Then it is as we suspected?" he asked excitedly.

Valten nodded, but his expression changed to one of suspicion, "The High Lords believe so yes otherwise I would not be here."

"Marvellous." Jyanheist replied. For a moment he seemed lost in thought, his eyes growing distant. A second later the look was gone. "Please follow me then."

Damasious could not shake her unease. Despite the beauty of the place there was something wrong. She could not quite put her finger on what it was.

Damasious was lost, they had walked a long time, it was the only way to travel according to Jyanheist.

"On Dessinisima we do not like to pollute our atmosphere the way many other Imperial worlds do. We walk here. Using transporters is only for necessity and nothing more." He had explained.

Walking here however was almost like a nightmare. Despite is beauty and ancient grandeur Dellimya was a maze. Damasious had been to places like this in the past, cities built in an intentionally confusing manor, designed to trap invaders in dead ends and bottle necks. It was an ancient and effective method of countering sieges. She wondered what events in the planets past had required the need for counter siege warfare. Despite her best efforts Damasious couldn't remember the way back to the landing field. There was something else too. She felt like she was being watched, like there was always something in the corner of her vision. Impossible, she reasoned, this was a shrine world. What could possibly go wrong here? Storm Fang grumbled quietly.

After what felt like an eternity of winding cobbled roads and narrow lanes they reached the towns highest point where the walls of the Cathedral towered above them. They ascended a wide stair case where the river split the path in half and fell away into a deep plunge pool below. Damasious marvelled at the interior of the place as they passed over the threshold. All sound from outside was suddenly muffled and dulled even the flow of the river, which cut through the centre of the vast hall, was limited to a pleasant trickle. Wooden benches lined either side of the vaulted chamber facing a podium standing before a statue of the God Emperor, once again resplendent in his battle amour. His pose this time had his arm out stretched, palm upwards as if offering his hand so that they could join him. There were no windows save the one at the front of the building so the place was lit by braziers and their pungent incense filled the air. Damasious noted the stillness of the place, where people prayed quietly and even the echoes of their foot falls seemed strangely muted.

"Through here." Jyanheist gestured to a smaller wooden door at the rear of the chamber. "This path leads down into the burial chambers deep under the mountain."

Jyanheist paused, his eyes glazing again, one of his attendants stopped beside him to whisper something in his ear. Jyanheist nodded and carried on into the dark tunnel beyond the door.

Damasious watched this brief moment with narrowed eyes. Jyanheist seemed off somehow. That troubled her. She touched Amendera gently on the arm to get her attention. The Sister Superior had seen it too she shook her head a fraction. A tiny movement but one that conveyed all that it needed to confirm Amendera was suspicious.

They travelled down and down. Jyanheist had taken up a lamp to light they way and he lead them into a maze of twisting passages, dark winding staircases and corridors where the walls were lined with the dead. All of them so wrapped up in cloth and bandages they only vaguely resembled human shapes. This ancient ritual seemed almost barbaric, the smell too, musty and stale was particularly unpleasant. Damasious could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end, she was utterly lost in this bewildering place. How could anyone remember where they were down here? Valten appeared as determined as ever, he did not flinch or falter, he followed Jyanheist without complaint despite the palpable tension of the Battle Sisters behind him. Damasious had to admire that but she kept wondering if his total acceptance of the situation might be his undoing. Another thought crossed her mind of course, that this was indeed just a pickup of an ancient and important artefact and that nothing would go wrong at all.

Finally Jyanheist stopped before a set of iron doors, featureless and dull with dust.

"Beyond these is the hall in which we found the secret chamber. Are you ready Cardinal Valten?" Jyanheist asked his eyes glittering with excitment.

"We've wasted enough time finding this damn place, show me and we can be done." Valten replied quietly.

"Right this way." Jyanheist pushed open the doors and entered.

Damasious realised immediately the size of the chamber dwarfed all of the others they had been through so far. In the dark she could not see the ceiling or the walls either side of her but the echo of boot steps seemed to go on forever. She followed Jyanheist's bobbing lamp amazed at the how the man navigated his way so easily down here.

Damasious stumbled a sudden nausea washing through her, Amendera shot out her hand to steady the Sister, emerald eyes sparkling for a moment in the lamp light, her expression one of concern. Damasious retched, buzzing filled her brain, she could hear Storm Fang howling in anger, fighting against a psychic assault she had not expected. There was something down here. It hit her like a tank shell blasting into her subconscious and slamming her to the ground like a ragdoll. Everyone stopped now, Emilia and Mira raising their Bolters to Jyanheist, forming a defensive ring around Damasious and Amendera who crouched at her sisters side.

Valten drew his plasma pistol. "What is this?"

"Welcome." A loud yet soothing voice echoed across the chamber. Damasious felt as if her blood was boiling, her skin searing.

There was a flash of light and thunder clap of sound Damasious could only imagine was like that of an exploding star. She felt her skin move as the shock wave spread across her body turning her world into white noise and pain. She'd experienced something similar before when a tank shell detonated to close. She cried out in agony but could not hear her own voice. Storm Fang howled on in her subconscious battling with whatever was invading her brain.

Amendera's eyes rolled in their sockets and she collapsed, unblinking to the ground. Valten's gun clattered from his grasp and he sank to his knees, clutching at his head. Mira stumbled and vomited before she too fell into a heap on the cold stones. A second later everyone had either fainted or collapsed in pain. Only Sister Olivia stood her ground, teeth clenched and defiant as always to the last. She aimed her Boltgun at Jyanheist who stood, unharmed, his lamp still clenched his in his fist, his two companions at his back.

Damasious watched, helpless and raging, Storm Fang roared and whimpered but she could do nothing, her limbs leaden. Olivia shouted something but Damasious heard nothing. Jyanheist nodded respectively and spoke a single word. Olivia began to burn. Damasious watched in horror as her comrade's flesh melted from her bones, pinkish fire tore through her exposed organs and muscles until she was nothing more than a pool of molten armour and ash. It had taken only seconds. Slowly Damasious felt her hearing return, the whine subsiding. She still stared in shock at the remains of Olivia but heard Jyanheist's mocking tones echoing in the chamber.

"You have been tricked Cardinal Valten. Only the purest of faith and blood are worthy of my master."

In the space of about thirty seconds everything had gone wrong. One sister killed the rest incapacitated and likely to be dead soon too. Damasious gritted her teeth so hard it hurt, her fingers balled into fists so tight she'd have cut the palms of her hands were it not for her gauntlets. She still couldn't really see anything except Jyanheist, it was too dark but she could hear that voice. It was so soothing yet so malicious, arrogant but pleasant all at the same time.

"Bring him to me."

Jyanheist gestured to his lackeys and they strode forward to haul a limp Valten to his feet. They dragged him off into the darkness; Jyanheist followed illuminating more of the room as he walked. Damasious could see more priests waiting near some of the vast chambers pillars. They were all hooded and cloaked in grey, faces obscured in shadow. So now they were outnumbered. It was just getting better and better.

Damasious willed her limbs to move, her foot twitched, finally getting somewhere. Storm Fang was still battling another presence she could feel it burning in her subconscious, trying to get past Storm Fangs vicious claws. She wondered how her Sisters were faring without the aid she had. Had they all gone mad? Were they even still alive? She managed to roll her head the other way to where Amendera lay, she was breathing. Damasious was relieved but realised that even if she broke free of this oppressive force she couldn't drag six Battle Sisters to safety even with Storm Fang enhancing her strength. She turned back to where Jyanheist had taken Valten. She felt her muscles tense, then another wiggle, it was like being buried in sand.

Valten was on his knees, head bowed in front of an altar, Damasious couldn't make out much detail in the lamplight. She saw something glimmer, it looked like a goblet or chalice. She could smell perfume now too.

"Fill it." There was that voice again, Damasious wished she could see who it was.

Jyanheist produced a wicked looking knife, its sharp edge glinting as he lowered it to Valten's throat. They were going to kill him! Damasious snarled, she had to get free. She couldn't let them finish whatever sick ritual they were performing. With another grunt she forced her arm to move, barely an inch but it was enough, it got the ball rolling. Storm Fang renewed its offensive and Damasious lifted her shoulders from the ground. She could feel the other presence effects wearing off, she could hear it screaming in agony, she was winning, thank the Emperor!

"Wait!" That voice, urgency and confusion filled it now. "There is something else in here."

Storm Fang unleashed a triumphant howl. Damasious felt as if a great weight had lifted from her entire body, leaden limbs suddenly filled once more with blood and strength. Yelling with effort she hauled herself upright, snatching Storm Fang from her back, activating it as she did so and its throaty growl echoed in the chamber. She stood defiant and gasping for breath as Jyanheist stared on in horror.

"I know her!" screamed the voice. "I want her body, this one is not worthy of me anymore, bring her to me!"

Jyanheist blinked furiously at the sudden turn of events, he looked from Valten to Damasious then back again and shook his head, eyes filled with rage.

"Alright, get her, bring her here!" he finally ordered.

His guards moved in, las guns concealed in their robes brought to bear.

Damasious had registered everything that had been said and she was surprised and frightened that this unseen voice somehow seemed to know her but she couldn't dwell on that now. Valten's and her Sisters safety were more important. She glanced over her shoulder, Amendera and Mira were stirring the spell seemed to have been broken. When she looked back around twenty priests had descended upon her weapons raised and ready.

"I want her alive! I need her alive!" roared the voice.

Damasious grinned savagely. How did they possibly hope to bring her down if they couldn't kill her? This would be too easy. Her veins pulsed beneath her flesh as Storm Fang sent a burst of energy through her gauntlets. She felt her heart beat quicken, adrenaline surging. She let loose a wet wolfish snarl, baring her teeth at the priests. They seemed to falter uncertain of what she would do next. Damasious sprang forward, Storm Fang whipped out in front of her in a horizontal arc that cut three priests down before they even realised she'd moved. She emerged from the blood cloud howling with fury.

"I want her now!" the voice we beginning to sound like a spoilt child.

Damasious didn't care anymore, her blood was up and it with was filling her with ice cold rage. All she wanted was to kill and kill again, to butcher and maim. Storm Fang rose and fell, frozen blood crystals trailing and clattering against her armour with each strike. She lashed left and right, hot gore spouted across her cheek, another downward strike spilled intestines on her boots. She stepped in, blinded by anger, Storm Fang scythed through flesh and screeched through bone. Red steam filled the air and with it came the acrid stink of ruptured bowels. Damasious ran a man through the sternum, his blood drenching her arms to the elbow. She tore the weapon free and decapitated another, arterial spray leaping into the darkness. Las guns were cut apart and fell smoking, bodies slammed wetly onto the tiles the screams of the dying drowning out everything. Damasious rammed Storm Fang down, in a reverse handed grip, through the neck of the last man then tugged it towards her to open his body like a set of swinging doors. He crumpled soundlessly spilling his ravaged insides down her legs. Damasious stepped aside and advanced on Jyanheist. She spat a gobbet of someone else's blood and pointed Storm Fang at him. A wicked smile crept across her blood smeared lips.

"No, no, no! Jyanheist do something, this is not what I want!"

Jyanheist threw himself at her his knife flashing in the soft light as he tossed his lamp away. Damasious turned Storm Fang aside and head butted the traitor priest on the nose. He staggered back yelping and clutching his face as trickles of blood oozed between his fingers. His knife clattered to the floor. Damasious smiled again and flicked Storm Fang out to cut his right arm off at the elbow. Before the limb had even hit the deck she kicked him hard in the middle of the chest and sent him crashing onto the floor. She heard his skull thud against the stone and he lay unmoving.

"Damasious get Valten we are leaving!" that was Amendera shouting, Damasious looked back and saw her Sisters were all on their feet. Though they all looked a little worse for wear, Emilia was still heaving her guts out onto the tiles.

"No! Jyanheist stop her! Kill them! Do something I'm not strong enough to hold them down anymore!"

Damasious hoisted Valten onto her shoulder .

"You can't leave, that's not fair come back!"

Damasious turned away from the mad voice and ran back down the hall.

"Contacts rear of the chamber!" Mira yelled firing a storm of Bolter shells passed Damasious. Damasious didn't look back but she could hear the thuds of shells smacking into flesh and the satisfying bang of detonation.

"Fall back to the way we came in!" Amendera ordered her own Bolt pistol roaring in her left hand.

"Don't let them get away! I want her! Do something you idiot's!" It was desperate now, the voice, Damasious took some satisfaction in that.

Las bolts whipped over her shoulder but she kept running. Sisters Ella and Rebecca kicked the doors open and Damasious staggered through setting Valten down to one side. Carla and Emilia came next, then Amendera and Mira.

"Close them!" Amendera yelled.

"It locks from the outside." Mira noted as Carla and Emilia pushed the heavy metal beam across the doors and jammed them shut.

"Probably to keep whatever that thing is inside." Rebecca replied, re-loading her Bolter.

"We need to get back to the surface." Amendera stated, she tried her Vox link. "Static, we're too deep. Alright ladies, helmets on at least we can see where we're going."

"True but we don't know where we're supposed to be going." Mira replied absently.

"We'll find the way back." Amendera said flatly. To Damasious it didn't sound as if the Sister Superior believed that herself. "We just have to head upwards."

Damasious locked her helmet in place and her auto senses activated bathing the chamber in an eerie green glow. As Mira had quite rightly pointed out, being able to see wouldn't make any difference. Every passageway looked the same, brick walled and narrow. She gave Storm Fang a couple of revs to dislodge any frozen gore from the teeth and slung it back across her back. Valten was coming round and she helped him sit upright. When his eyes opened he recoiled from her before realising her glowing green eyes were in fact lenses. Her blood drenched armour probably hadn't helped either.

"What happened?" he asked wearily.

"Damasious broke whatever spell that thing had on us and we fought our way free." Mira replied helping Damasious get Valten to his feet.

"Yes, how exactly did you do that Damasious?" Emilia snarled accusingly, "That's not the first time I've witnessed one of your rages..."

"We'll talk about that when we get out of here." Amendera snapped cutting Emilia off, "For now keep your opinions to yourself."

"Aye Sister." Emilia muttered.

Amendera nodded at Damasious who returned the gesture, slightly bemused by Emilia's reaction. She could feel her sisters gaze even through the helmet lenses.

"Let's move." Amendera growled, heading towards the only set of stairs that went upwards.

They ascended into the maddening corridors once more. Every once and a while their helmet's auto senses would flicker and burst with static as if something was interfering with them. Losing the night vision wouldn't stop them but it would drastically slow them down. Damasious felt the same sense of oppression on her shoulders as she had on the way down. It was claustrophobic and unsettling. It was as if she could feel the mountain itself on her back. Valten was having trouble keeping pace with the Sisters too. It seemed the ordeal below had affected him more than the Sororitas. In fact the only thing the Sisters really felt was sorrow, they had lost a companion and friend. Of all the squad Sister Rebecca had been closest to Olivia and Damasious could hear her stifled sobs from the rear of the group. Damasious herself was saddened but the pain was numbed. She had lost the most of all of them. Olivia was a casualty of war, an inevitable death. They'd all die in battle at some point. It was the way of the Adepta Sororitas. Sister Kai had been so much more to her than anyone. Damasious swore at herself, this wasn't the time.

Amendera called a halt. She gestured for readiness. Scuffles and low voices could be heard above and ahead. Damasious realised that in these tight stair cases even Sororitas power armour would be little helped against a barrage of las fire. There wasn't enough room to move. They'd have to catch the Priests off guard. Sound it seemed travelled differently in the tunnels, they waited a good ten minutes before the faint flow of lamplight appeared from a bend in the stair case ahead.

"No grenades," Amendera whispered, "We don't want to bring the ceiling down on us."

Amendera and Mira hunkered down, giving Ella and Emilia room to fire over their heads. Further back Damasious, Carla and Rebecca formed a protective wall in front of Valten.

Amendera glanced over her shoulder, "Auto senses off, they'll see the lenses glow. Wait till there's a group of them, we'll have a few seconds before they realise we're here."

Damasious did as ordered and her world went dark, save the dull glow above. They waited with bated breath. No one moved or made a sound until the first priest appeared and Damasious felt everyone stiffen. She held her breath not daring to make even the tiniest noise. Just six more priests appeared behind the first. Amendera waited a few seconds longer than Damasious would have before she gave the order, probably to make sure no more were following.

"Open fire!" she yelled.

In such a confined space the roar of Bolter fire was horrendous. Damasious' helmet sound dampening system kicked in automatically but it didn't really help that much. They were too close. Valten covered his ears, his eyes screwed shut. All seven priests were obliterated, only one managed to loose off a shot. It clipped Sister Ella's shoulder pad and turned her one hundred and eighty degrees but she sprang back and continued her salvo of gunfire with barely a hiss of annoyance. Each Sister emptied their magazines and there was nothing left but smoke and pulverised flesh. As one the sisters reloaded filling the suddenly silent tunnel with metallic clicking.

"Move on, that sound will echoed along every corridor down here." Amendera barked and began her ascent once more. "Don't slip."

There really wasn't anything remaining of the seven men Damasious noted as she clambered up the ruined section of stairs, just pools of steaming meat and ragged strips of cloth. Here and there were some recognisable pieces, a hand, part of a face, a foot still in the shoe. She had seen what a Bolter could do at close range many times, it never ceased to amaze her.

"We're really lost aren't we?" Mira said pretty much what everyone else was thinking almost an hour after the encounter with the priests. It had been their only run in so far.

Valten who had finally recovered his senses, shook his head. "No the air is much fresher now. I think we're closer than we realise."

"Well let's hope so because I'm getting tired of this maze." Mira muttered darkly. "I feel like a lab rat."

"How do we even know we'll come out in the Cathedral?" Rebecca asked. "We don't even know how many ways there are in and out of this place."

"I don't care where we come up as long as I get some air in my lungs that isn't full of dust." Mira retorted.

"Quiet both of you!" Amendera snapped. "What's that?"

There was a door ahead, on a small landing to the right hand side of the passageway. It was wooden with light spilling in from the gap at the bottom. Amendera approached it carefully, her Bolt Pistol held ready. Mira followed, her own weapon braced in her shoulder. Amendera gestured for everyone else to wait. She tested the door handle, just an iron ring, and turned it. More light spilled in as she pushed it open.

Mira sighed with relief. "It's a way out!"

Rebecca's prediction rang true as Damasious emerged into the daylight. They weren't in the Cathedral. They were on the side of the mountain. She took off her helmet, as did everyone else, and breathed deep. It felt good, despite the alien nature of the planets overly clean air. They stood in a small clearing with a path leading away down the mountain that clearly hadn't been used for years. Tall pale blue leafed trees surrounded the clearing and behind them the door had been built into a cliff face of dark rock.

"It must have taken some incredible engineering to build this." Valten noted gazing up the cliff. "Such a shame its purpose has clearly changed."

Amendera took several deep breaths, her eyes closed. Then she was alert again, her helmet now secured to her waist. She touched her ear, "This is Battle Sister Amendera to the _Fidem et Ignis_ do you read me?" She paused, "Nothing, long range Vox is being jammed by the sounds of it. Let's see if we can contact Grace and Ava on short range."

Damasious noticed Emilia was staring at her distastefully. Damasious averted her gaze to Amendera but could feel the other Sisters gaze prickling the hairs on her neck.

"This is Amendera do you read me Sisters? Ava do you copy? Grace come in?" Amendera's gaze lowered. "Nothing. Their link is active but I'm getting no response."

"So their dead." Emilia grumbled.

Sister Mira frowned. "We don't know that. What's the matter with you?"

Emilia gave Mira a hard look. "With me?" Emilia stalked across the clearing and right up to Damasious. "It's her you should be asking whether something's wrong!"

Damasious met her Sisters gaze evenly. She had known this would come.

"Stand down Sister." Amendera said calmingly.

Emilia ignored her. "What was that in their Damasious? First you manage to resist whatever power that thing held over us, despite our mental conditioning we were all affected by it but not you!" she was getting angry now.

Behind her Damasious could see the other Sisters looking on nervously. Amendera's frown deepened.

"Emilia I said stand down!" she yelled.

"No! She needs to answer for what happened in there! How did that thing know who you were? Why did it want you specifically, what's so damn special about you?" Emilia demanded.

Damasious stared her down, her fists clenched. What exactly was Emilia accusing her of? Being in league with the arch enemy? Damasious didn't understand what had happened in the chamber, she was actually ashamed of her actions and her emotions during the brief fight with the priests. She had killed, no slaughtered, because it felt good. It had felt very, very good. How that thing, that voice had known who she was as much a mystery to her as anyone else.

"Say something to me Damasious! It knew you and then you went wild. I've seen it before, that damn chain blade it turns you into a monster? Who gave that to you, was it that thing in there, is that how it knew you?" Emilia spat, "Throne damn you and your silence, answer me!"

The blow was sudden and it stung, Damasious' head snapped sideways and she fell to one knee realising Emilia had back handed her across the cheek. Damasious felt her anger rise again and she rounded on Emilia with her teeth bared, a savage snarl escaping her lips. She grabbed Emilia by the neck and hoisted her off her feet. Amendera was suddenly by her side, she struck Damasious hard in the gut, forcing the wind from her lungs. She doubled over dropping Emilia in the process, who staggered away choking and retching. Amendera hauled a winded Damasious to her feet.

"Enough!" she roared, "Both of you!"

Damasious gritted her teeth but did not retaliate.

"My apologise Sister Superior." Emilia coughed.

"And you?" Amendera stared into Damasious' eyes.

Damasious nodded.

"Good, this ends now. Damasious will answer for her actions but our priority is getting off world or contacting the _Ignis." _

"Do you have a plan Sister?" Valten, seemed unfazed by the row between Damasious and Emilia.

"We head to the landing field, if one of the ships is still functioning we take it. If not then we find and disable whatever they're using to jam the long range Vox and call in support."

"That'll do me." Mira remarked.

Valten nodded his agreement and checked the charge on his plasma pistol.

"Alright then, let's move." Amendera began to follow the over grown path.

Damasious caught Emilia watching her intently, rubbing her bruising throat. Damasious was sorry she'd hurt a fellow Sororitas but something inside her stirred, making her guts churn. She'd have throttled Emilia to death if Amendera had not intervened. It was a sickening realisation.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.** _

* * *

"Theories?" Amendera asked from ahead of the group.

Damasious walked at the back, careful to keep Emilia in front of her lest the Battle Sister put a Bolter shell through her spine. Mira was beside her though, it was a gesture of faith from the Sister. One Damasious appreciated. She caught her eye and smiled. Mira winked.

"Whatever Emilia may think," Mira muttered, "She's wrong."

Damasious nodded.

"I have one." Valten answered Amendera's question, running a hand over his bald head. "The gene seed story is a simple fabrication. One used to lure me here for some ritual. That thing in there. A demon. One of the cult of Slaanesh."

A shiver passed through the Sisters. Rebecca uttered a prayer. To hear the true names of the arch enemy was enough to make a person's skin crawl. Their very syllables seemed purposefully designed to make you feel uncomfortable. They were rarely spoken out loud, especially by those of the Imperial Church. Damasious barely flinched but she felt Storm Fang grumble.

Valten continued unfazed. "They are notoriously vain. Perhaps its vanity made it to want the blood of a high priest, someone pure and un-corruptible, that would have been the ultimate insult to the Emperor. It said it was weak, perhaps my blood would have made it strong again?"

"Or perhaps it's been imprisoned and pure blood is the only way to release it." Ella offered.

"Also a possibility." Valten shrugged.

"So then why did it change its mind?" Emilia snarled. "Damasious is hardly pure."

"I told you to keep that to yourself!" Amendera snapped.

"Either way," Valten interjected before Emilia could reply, "It's needs to be destroyed."

Amendera bared her teeth. "Agreed."

Valten slowed his pace. As the group passed around him he became level with Damasious and Mira.

"Could you give us a moment?" He asked Mira, who nodded respectfully and walked on ahead.

Damasious looked at Valten and inwardly sighed, half knowing this would come. He was a cardinal after all. Under his authority she could be killed if he believed she was in league with the forces of Chaos.

"I know you cannot reply, your Oath forbids it, Amendera told me so but hear me out." He said carefully picking his way over a large tree root. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

Damasious did not react, though what he had said was unexpected.

"However, it's clear there is something different about you. Something important, though I cannot see what or how." Valten inhaled sharply and let out a deep sigh. "I do not believe you are tainted as your Sister seems to think." he gestured to Emilia. "I think it has something to do with that blade. I have seen similar weapons in my time. Sentient weapons."

Damasious carried on looking straight ahead. She had often wondered that herself and now she knew. She had been told it contained the souls of all those warriors who had wielded it before her and that it was an old and powerful relic. It had changed her, that she was sure of but whether for good or ill she had yet to discover.

Valten had been examining her reaction. "Yes." he said, "You knew didn't you?"

She shrugged.

Valten chuckled quietly. "I would be curious to know how it came to be yours, its designs are very specific, I would doubt its original creators would have parted with it easily."

Damasious gave him a hard look, her eyes asked all the questions her mouth could not.

Valten held up his hands, "I am not accusing you of theft Sister. Merely stating that the Space Wolves do not give their treasured relics to those they believe unworthy."

* * *

It was a memory that came unbidden into her mind, Damasious felt a cold wind caress her cheek and she glanced up. Around her the lush forest began to disappear in a blanket of white fog. Soft earth beneath her boots began to crunch underfoot and she looked down to find she was ankle deep in crisp, freshly fallen snow. When she looked ahead of her again a blizzard of icy flakes stung her eyes. Her hands became heavy with the weight of her Boltgun. In her chest her heartbeat quickened, her movements ached with battle fatigue but pulsed with adrenaline. She remembered the rage and hatred for the traitors of this world.

"On our six!" Sister Kai yelled her Bolter spitting flame and death as it roared in her hands. Her white hair whipping around her shoulders in the harsh wind.

Damasious spun in the snow, bracing herself for the recoil and squeezed the trigger. In the mists bodies burst apart in steaming clouds that were instantly swept away in the blizzard.

"How can we fight in this storm?" Kai demanded.

"As we always do, with vengeance in our hearts and prayer upon our lips!" Sister Superior Jessica yelled. She smashed aside a cultist who came within range of her mace, his torso crushed to a pulp by her mighty swing.

"But I can't see a damn thing!" Kai shouted in return, "Even our Auto Senses are useless with that warp storm above us!" Almost as if to emphasise her point, a streak of red lighting slashed the sky.

"Watch your tone Sister Militant." Jessica warned as she emerged properly into their field of vision. Her blue cloak billowed wildly at her back and like everyone else, snow had gathered in the beetle black groves of her armour. Her tanned skinned face was pinched with cold and her pale brown hair riddled with icicles. She was a tall and imposing woman, stern of features with an unkind stare. She was not a woman to cross.

"Apologies Sister Superior." Kai replied, though Damasious could tell she didn't mean it. Kai glanced at her and winked. Damasious smirked.

"Still, Kai is right." Sister Victoria piped up. "We cannot fight if we are blind."

"Then use your other senses Sister Militant." A deep voice grumbled from behind them, despite its low tones it was still fully audible in the howling wind.

Damasious smiled, surprised but pleased. Kai was grinning too.

From the blizzard emerged a warrior taller and broader than any Damasious had ever seen. His skin was creased like old leather, his beard and mane of hair was as white as the snow around them and adorned with all manner of beads, teeth and other trinkets. His eyes were like pale moonlight and his fangs sharp and glistening. Power assisted servos whirred as he walked, heavy boots pushing aside the thick snow as if it were not there at all. His grey armour was scratched and chipped but the twelve names carved into his arms remained undamaged and clear, Damasious knew these very same names were scarred to the flesh of his forearms. He was Soren Ice Heart, Lone Wolf and Battle Brother of the Space Wolves. In his right hand he carried a chain blade weapon he called Storm Fang, Damasious had never seen anything like it before, its onyx black and freezing to the touch. It was quite possibly the most lethal weapon she would ever witness in combat.

"Do not tell me that you cannot smell these heretics?" The old Wolf guffawed. "Smells like shit and fear."

"Good to see you Soren!" Kai exclaimed reaching up on her tip toes to embrace him, Soren smiled and lifted her off her feet in his bear like embrace. Soren had been away for a week, gathering intelligence.

Sister Jessica looked on disapprovingly.

Damasious and the Battle Sisters had been here for almost eight months now but Soren had been there far longer. He had been alone for a year and half fighting the heretics without support, using the wilderness to his advantage, hunting them like a true wolf hunted its prey. He said he must avenge his fallen comrades and the one responsible for their deaths was here somewhere on this world. Soren would find him and kill him or die trying. Either outcome suited him just fine. During the first week of the assault by the Battle Sisters, Damasious and Kai had become separated from their unit during an ambush by heretic forces. Lost in the wilds for two days, Soren eventually found them and helped them return to the battle group. Though initially distrustful of him, the Space Wolves and Sisters of Battle had rarely seen eye to eye, Damasious and Kai eventually became friends with Soren and as the war raged on the trio developed a strong bond alone in the wilderness. A bond the Sister Superiors did not approve of. Despite this Soren's knowledge of the terrain and of the enemy had proved invaluable, he had remained with them and aided them but never lost sight of his true purpose.

"The air is thick with fear today." Soren said, setting Kai down once more and lifted Damasious instead. "We have them on the back foot. Turn your column North East and you'll run them down. They are in retreat now, it will not take long and this war will be over."

Jessica wore a look of annoyance, "Vox links are blocked." she stated.

Soren lowered Damasious and turned to frown at Jessica, "So send a runner."

Jessica grunted, "Victoria send word!"

"Yes ma'am!" The young Sister turned and disappeared into the blizzard.

"Do not presume you can give me orders, dog!" Jessica snapped looking back at Soren, "The Sisters of Battle are fully aware of your chapters indiscretions. Were it not for the Canoness's orders to use you and your local knowledge for our own gain I'd have you chained up and taken to the Inquisitors for interrogation." she drew closer to Soren, standing defiant, despite the wolf towering over her. Damasious had to give her some credit for that.

Soren chuckled low in his throat. "Sister, if you tried you would die." he replied quietly.

Jessica stalked away into the blizzard leaving the two Sisters and Soren alone.

"He's here." Soren muttered after a moment of silence.

"Razek?" Kai looked up in surprise.

Damasious grimaced. Razek was the man Soren had been hunting. He was the man leading the rebellion on this world, he was Astartes, or had been until he turned traitor. According to Soren, Razek was unlike any traitor Astartes before him but refused to say more, except he was alone and there were no other Traitor Marines here to be concerned with.

"Aye, Razek." Soren spat the name as if it's very syllables burned his tongue. "He knows his time is done, so he finally shows himself."

"So you can kill him." Kai smiled evilly. Damasious found herself somewhat disturbed by the expression but ignored it.

"If he doesn't kill me first. Either way, I will have done my duty for my fallen brothers. That's all that matters."

Three hours passed. Soren's information had been accurate, the cultists had been attempting a retreat. Immolator tanks rolled in, heavy flamers and melta guns made light work of the cultists column. They were few in number, mostly on foot with only a few light vehicles as support. It was clear the war had taken a heavy toll on them. As Damasious picked her way through the charred bodies left behind, putting those still clinging to the agony of life out of their misery, she realised the warp storm above was clearing. It was a small mercy given that the howling wind and snow still buffeted her armour and scratched at her frost bitten skin. Kai strode with her, occasionally muttering obscenities, only Soren seemed oblivious to the wind. He marched onwards, fuelled by anger, there had yet to be any reports of Razek.

Suddenly Damasious heard her ear piece stutter into life, "Sister Superior Jessica to all units, Pyskers generating warp storm are neutralised. Vox links re-established. We have their leader cornered. All units report in, he is not what we expected and he is to be taken alive."

"Soren!" Kai exclaimed.

"I heard." the old wolf grumbled and took off into the storm.

Damasious shrugged and followed.

What they stumbled upon was a semi circle of Battle Sisters surrounding a lone and bloodied figure, his back to the burning wreck of a half track. As Damasious drew nearer she realised the warrior was indeed Razek, his armoured outline all to similar to Soren's. Damasious eye's grew wider as she approached the standoff, a darkness settled in her stomach as the full realisation of what she was seeing dawned on her. Razek had a been a Space Wolf, his armour the same dull grey as Soren's, his left shoulder pad the same red and black but now faded and scratched. His face was elongated into a muzzle of razor sharp teeth, his eyes bright yellow within the black fur that covered his skin, his ears tall and pointed. His gauntlets had broken away where thickly muscled forearms had broken through, his fingers ended in wicked claws.

"There he is!" the thing that was Razek exclaimed, sensing Soren approach, hot breath misting before him.

"Razek!" Soren bellowed, shoving his way through the Battle Sisters. "Now you answer for your crimes!"

Razek, laughed. Damasious retched at the sound.

"Will I indeed?"

"Your army is gone, your pathetic rebellion over!"

Razek snorted, it was never about rebellion Soren, do you think I care?"

"What was it then?" Soren, genuinely seemed taken aback by that remark. He had pushed his way to the front, Damasious and Kai at his heels.

"Self gratification!" Razek boomed. He spread his arms, fingers dripped with blood. Damasious saw the shredded corpse of a Battle Sister at his feet.

"Enough of this!" Jessica cut in. "This thing is to be taken into custody. Here stands proof of the Space Wolves corruption and you Soren will be taken with him."

Soren bared his fangs, "That thing proves nothing! He is a product of Chaos nothing more!"

"Oh I am so much more!" Razek replied took a few steps forward but a dozen Boltgun were levelled at him and he paused. "I am all the rage of Russ given Wulfen form, the Chaos Gods simply allowed me to keep my mind."

Soren chuckled darkly, ignoring Jessica for the moment but Damasious noted his left hand was resting against his bolt pistol holster, and Storm Fang was revved up to speed. "That is questionable." he replied icily.

What if Jessica tried to put him down? Damasious gritted her teeth, could she shoot him if ordered? Would she instead put a Bolter shell in Jessica? Soren had done nothing to give any indication he would betray them. His motives had always been clear. Help the Sisters to help him find Razek and kill him but even Damasious felt lied to. Seeing what Razek really was had made her sick, she had heard the rumours of the Space Wolves flawed Gene Seed but Wulfen were supposedly mindless. Yet here Razek stood disproving that. And there were the rumours of the Void Wolves chapter.

"Both of you be silent!" Jessica snarled, "Sisters take Soren's weapons and secure the creat..." before he sentence was finished Razek lunged forward, faster than a human eye could follow and snatched her from her feet. Her mace hit the dirt with a thud.

"Don't shoot!" Victoria screamed as Razek disappeared into the blizzard, Jessica kicking and screaming in his iron grip.

Soren roared and sprinted off in pursuit. Storm Fang howling with him into the wind.

Damasious was running too, she hadn't even registered the thought but she was pelting into the snow and Kai was hot on her tail. Sister Victoria's yelp of disapproval was lost to the blizzard and Damasious carried on, determined to see Soren victorious and put the dog Razek down herself if he was not. Together she and Kai crashed through the woodland, in the trail left by Soren. Neither of them said anything or even share a glance. They didn't need to.

They emerged into a clearing, Razek held Jessica by the neck, she was kicking feebly.

"I see your brought your pets!" Razek snarled.

Soren didn't turn to look. "He's mine Sisters!"

Razek chuckled, "No, no Soren!" with a sharp jerk he snapped Jessica's neck and dropped her limp body onto the snow.

Damasious could have sworn Kai smirked.

Then the wolves clashed. Kai made to intervene but Damasious took her arm and shook her head. So they watched, it was a spectacle neither would ever forget. Razek moved faster than the eye could follow but Soren, despite his apparent age, kept pace well. Storm Fang whirled around him, its blade howling and screaming with each swing. Soren ducked a sweep of Razek's claws and returned with an upward strike of his own. Razek swatted the blade aside and his claws took a chuck of Soren's armour away. Storm Fang hit home, tearing away strips of flesh from Razek's arm. He made a sound like a wounded dog and punched Soren in the throat. Soren retaliated with a swift kick but Razek dodged and landed another blow with his claws. Blood spurted from Soren's neck but the old wolf turned away from the blow and lashed back with Storm Fang. It's teeth bit into Razek's breast plate and tore it open, cutting deep enough to score flesh. Razek howled, throwing his body weight against Soren. The two went down a flurry of snow and blood.

Damasious looked on in terror and sorrow when she saw Razek's teeth sink into Soren's neck. With a savage snarl Soren stabbed Storm Fang into Razek's left ribs, burying it to the hilt so the tip burst from the other side. Razek roared in Soren's face and head butted the blood soaked Space Wolf on the nose. Soren sagged, his grip loosened on Storm Fang and Razek pulled himself away. Soren lay twitching, growling. Razek however straightened and ripped Storm Fang free before tossing it aside.

"Your turning Soren." he grunted through gritted teeth. "Your rage has overcome you, I can see it in your eyes."

Damasious moved without thinking, overburdened with anger and pain she threw her Boltgun away and dived for Storm Fang. Razek's head snapped around and he grinned savagely. Damasious fingers tightened on the worn leather grip of the ancient Frost Blade and she lifted it from the cold Earth expecting it to be heavy but it was light and nimble as her combat blade, something pulsed along her arm and she reeled in shock but not discomfort. She could feel it quivering in her hand, its rage came into her mind and she bared her teeth, suddenly feeling as if this weapon had been hers all along. Kai was screaming but she ignored her and lunged at Razek. The Wulfen hit her like a thunder hammer, his fist cracking a rib and pushing the wind from her lungs. Damasious rolled with the blow, Storm Fang arched over her head and down through Razek's shoulder. Blood surged forth and the Wulfen stumbled. He lashed out again, catching Damasious with the tips of his claws, she felt blood, hot and wet, run down her temple and cheek. She knew now that were he not wounded Razek would have killed her already but blood loss was taking its toll. She had a chance, albeit a small one. She rolled beneath his next swing, using Storm Fang to cut through the back of his knee, Razek staggered, howling as blood spurted out to stain the snow beneath him. He slammed a closed fist against her cheek as Damasious stepped in to finish him off and her vision turned white. The Wulfen crashed an elbow against her shoulder and his other fist into her floating rib. Two ribs broke, another cracked, likely internal bleeding, dislocated left shoulder. The Battle Sister vomited but did not fall, something held her upright though she could not tell what. Instead she twisted away from his next blow and dived behind him to sever his other leg at the knee. Razek roared and collapsed. Broken bones grinding together in her chest, Damasious stood before the Wulfen and raised Storm Fang above her head in her right hand. Razek looked up at her and showed his fangs, a mockery of a grin. Damasious cut his head from his shoulders.

In barely an eye blink it seemed the fight was done, Damasious remembered none of it but the pain it left almost crippled her. She stumbled to fall to her knees next to Soren. Kai was behind her, Damasious could sense her apprehension. Soren blinked, his eyes were bloodshot, red flecked foam bubbled from his lips.

"You wield Storm Fang as if he were your own." he coughed thickly. "You have done me a service Sister... ah!" Soren ripped one of his gauntlets off. "I'm changing so we must do this quickly then you can end me with my honour intact."

He pressed his now bare palm against Storm Fangs black teeth and pulled down, splitting his skin deeply.

"Do the same." he urged.

Damasious did not understand what was happening but follow his instructions and cut her hand as he had.

"Damasious what are you doing?" Kai asked behind her but her voice seemed so far away. Damasious wasn't thinking.

Soren groaned, his eyes beginning to glow, he took Damasious hand and pressed their bleeding palms together, fingers interlocked. He squeezed tightly until the blood welled up between their fingers. Then he took Storm Fangs grip and smeared ruby liquid into the leather and held it out to her.

"Storm Fang is an ancient and honourable weapon, it has been passed from Wolf to Wolf since the time of Russ himself. It contains the souls of all those who have wielded it before me and soon it will claim mine," he choked and spat a gobbet of greasy blood, "By these words I pass it to you. You are its master now, its honour your honour, its strength your strength, its fury your fury. Remember these words and forge your own legend as I have mine."

Damasious took Storm Fang, she felt it pulse again, this time something howled, somewhere in the distance. It was somehow familiar.

"Now finish me before I turn into one of those things..." Soren sat up and leaned forward. "Down through the back of the neck, a warriors death."

Damasious straightened, things seemed to be happening in slow motion. She stood behind Soren and reversed her grip on Storm Fang. She was sobbing, she could feel the tears, so hot they felt scalding on her cheeks.

Storm Fang entered Soren's neck and travelled down through his spine. He died swiftly as was intended. Damasious pulled the weapon free. She could hear it wailing in sorrow.

Kai was calling to her and suddenly the world was dark.

* * *

Damasious crossed the landing pad silently, despite her heeled boots, Mira close behind. Ahead of them both transport vehicles were smoking ruins. Husks smashed apart by heavy weapons and left to be consumed by raging fires. Two grey robed priests stood guard by the wrecks, obviously in case the Sisters returned. It amused Damasious to think they only watched the main gates, these men had no experience in a warzone. Damasious and Mira had circled around the landing pad using the forests for cover. It almost seemed comical how disinterested the priests had been in the task they had been set. They stood idly, weapons held loosely, one staring into the sky the others face obscured by his hood and swaying as if on the cusp of falling asleep.

Mira took the closest, pulling his hood back and plunging her combat knife into his throat, cutting his jugular and severing his windpipe. He sagged back against her shoulder and she let him drop to the ground where he lay gasping and gurgling. Damasious drew Storm Fang across the neck of the next, she did not need to activate the weapon to cause damage. A spray of rubies arched high into the clear air. Damasious kicked him to the ground to bleed to death and sheathed Storm Fang across her back.

"We should search the wrecks." Mira wiped her blade clean on the cultists robes.

Damasious nodded. Having watched the cultists dispatched, Amendera and the others were approaching the landing pad. Valten came first, his expression one of deep concern. His entire entourage had remained behind but Damasious didn't need to search very long. Their fate was obvious, a pile of smouldering corpse confirmed Emilia's earlier prediction. When Valten approached Damasious simply shook her head.

"As I feared." Was all Valten said.

"What about Ava and Grace?" Sister Rebecca demanded her eyes on the bodies.

Mira was crouched by the Storm Ravens ramp access. "Grace is here."

Damasious grimaced, Grace had been hit by heavy weapons, from the look of it she hadn't even tried to move. Damasious reasoned she had likely been the first to die in the ambush. There was no sign of Ava, just her blood splattered Boltgun and helmet.

Mira straightened, Damasious saw her tuck Grace's tags into a belt pouch. "There is no sign of Ava." she sighed.

Rebecca's eyes widened with hope. "Then she may still be alive."

Amendera's lip twitched, then she said, "Perhaps, though unlikely."

Rebecca moved to reply but Valten interjected, "I suggest we split our forces Sister Superior. I lead one, you the other. We must regain contact with the _Fidem_ and we can cover more ground in two teams."

Amendera nodded. "The Cardinal is right Sisters." she gave Rebecca a silencing look, " Since we can't get off world, our priority now is disabling whatever is blocking our communications." Damasious could see the pain in her eyes as she spoke, Amendera did not leave a Sister behind but Ava was likely already dead and looking for her would only waste time.

Amendera glanced back at the city. "Damasious, Mira, Rebecca with me, the rest of you with Valten." Damasious saw a smirk crease Emilia's lips for the briefest of moments, it was gone the minute Amendera spoke again. "We must assume this entire city is tainted and we must assume they are looking for us. Treat everyone as hostile until proven otherwise. Maintain radio silence unless absolutely necessary. Emilia, Carla, Ella, I trust you to follow the Cardinal's orders as you would my own."

"We'll take East." Valten stated assuredly.

Amendera nodded in agreement, "Then we'll go West. Ave Imperator."

"The Emperor Protects." Valten replied and beckoned for his small squad to follow.

Emilia shoved past Damasious as she followed Valten and left with a piercing stare before vanishing into the trees. Damasious eyes fell to the ground and the blood stains beneath her boots. Emilia had been a trusted Sister, a comrade, they had never truly been friends but here was respect and that was enough. Now things had surely changed. Damasious wondered how many of her Sisters felt the same but were unwilling to voice their opinions. It hurt her to think any of them might feel betrayed by her actions or worse, that they might actually be afraid of her. Only Mira and Amendera seemed unfazed by what she had done.

Mira was watching her now. Damasious could see her in the corner of her eye, unaware she had been spotted. Damasious did not indicate she had noticed and instead continued staring down pretending to be blind to the world around her. Mira was slightly younger than Damasious, she had been transferred to Amendera's unit after her own had been wiped out by Dark Eldar only a few weeks after Damasious had been transferred. Her eyes were storm cloud grey but full of childish vigour and a smattering of freckles across her pale cheeks only added to her youthful appearance. Mira was attractive Damasious thought, more cute and innocent than outright beautiful but to behold her in battle was something else entirely. Mira was as zealous and dangerous as any Battle Sister and her sometimes shy nature would vanish in storm of Bolter fire and perfectly sung battle hymns. From the beginning Mira had seemed in awe of Damasious and for the first few weeks almost unwilling to talk her. It was not of malice it seemed more like nerves, then as weeks progressed she had treated her no differently to any other. Damasious had noticed a change in the last few months though. A return to that almost nervous state, catching Mira watching her when she thought Damasious wasn't looking. A slight smile here and there, close proximity where possible. Damasious next breath died before it reached her lips. Mira's behaviour then and now was the same as Damasious when she realised she had been attracted to Kai. That realisation fell upon her with the force of an Astartes drop pod.

"Alright." Amendera said dragging Damasious attention away from the floor and her churning thoughts. "Let's get moving."

Damasious spared a glance over her shoulder at Mira who smiled warmly. Damasious replied in kind and felt a pang of guilt.

Night was drawing in now, Damasious noted as she picked her way through the woodland on the outskirts of the city, they had been walking for a while now and were finally out of the thickest trees. At least darkness would make moving through the city easier. She could just make it through the trees and remembered how it was built, her opinion changed. In the dark it would be easier to go unnoticed but harder to navigate. There were strange noises in the darkness, insects that chirped in ways Damasious had never heard before. Bird calls that sounded oddly metallic. She became increasingly aware of how unsettling this world was. There was something pressing against her shoulders, creeping at the edges of her subconscious. Of course, she thought, the Demon. What else could it be? Ahead of her Rebecca paused and shrugged uncomfortably. So it was affecting everyone.

Amendera looked back, "Ignore it."

Damasious heard Storm Fang snarl and the pressure eased, she wished she could do the same for the others.

"Oh shit..." Amendera muttered in a rather out of character and vulgar outburst.

Damasious drew alongside and followed her sisters emerald stare.

Behind her Rebecca retched.

"Holy Throne!" Mira breathed. "In the night we see this place as it really is."

Illuminated from within by eerie red light the Cathedral still stood with its doors wide open but above the stained glass window of the Emperor had changed, warped into a creature both male and female, four arms outstretched as if to embrace those looking upon it and a wicked smile upon its thin fang filled mouth. This world truly was cursed. Damasious bared her teeth in anger.

Amendera blinked and shook her head, she opened her mouth and Damasious heard the bones in her jaw crack.

"This place needs to burn!" she spat. "Come on. We need to push through and find that damned jamming signal so we get off this rock."

Damasious have never heard her Sister so angry before.

Within the city streets all seemed quiet. Braziers had been lit with flickering pink fire but there seemed to be no sign of life. Windows and doors remained closed, yet light glimmered within. Damasious could feel the oppressiveness of the place ever more acutely in the dark. It's very shadows seemed thicker than the air, choking and cloying. Damasious had never been claustrophobic and yet in this place it was unavoidable. She looked over her shoulder and blinked, she could have sworn the street had turned off to the right but now it turned left. If she couldn't trust her own senses what could she trust.

"Keep your wits about you." Amendera whispered as if reading her thoughts. "There is nothing natural here."

Rebecca grunted, "I hadn't noticed."

Amendera ignored her insubordinate tone, Mira chuckled and that brief moment of humour was enough to drag the sisters back to their senses. Even in the face of this nightmare a single phrase brought a spark of light to otherwise pitch black mood. Damasious was grateful, even Storm Fang growled in amusement.

Ahead a door opened ahead, spilling yellow light out into the street, with the wind came the stench of human sweat and alcohol. All four sisters hugged the shadows, Damasious un-holstered her bolt pistol. She preferred to use Storm Fang but she was more than proficient with ranged weaponry and if any of those inside were armed she could not cover the distance fast enough to avoid taking fire. Amendera raised a clenched fist and they hunkered down, watching and listening for any clue as to the location of the Vox jammer or indeed anything else that may prove useful.

Four men emerged, naked from the waist up, heartily laughing and swaying in obvious intoxication. One immediately lurched to the opposite side of the road and vomited, much to the amusement of the other three.

"That's one each." Mira murmured.

Damasious caught her wrist and shook her head, placing a finger to her lips. Mira nodded but Damasious could tell she was itching to open fire. Seeing Grace dead had sparked anger in all of them but it would unwise to reveal their position this early into their search. She returned her attention to the men, two attempted to haul their comrade out of the gutter whilst the fourth swigged from a bottle, something glinted in his left hand. A knife, slick with blood.

"Just leave him." he said to this comrades. "He's used to sleeping in the filth, especially his own."

Guffawing the others dropped their sick friend back into his own fluids and walked away.

"Where is Gustav?" one of them grumbled. "He's taking too long."

"Gustav always has trouble finishing." the other replied.

A moment later a fifth man appeared, his naked body covered in glistening blood. Damasious caught its coppery tang and wrinkled her nose. She could smell perfume too, it was oddly familiar. What on Terra had they been up to in there?

After a moment the group headed off the opposite direction to the Battle Sisters laughing and singing as they went.

When they were out of sight and sound the Sisters emerged.

"Damasious deal with him." Amendera gestured to the one still writhing weakly in his puddle.

Ignoring the acrid reek surrounding him Damasious promptly stamped on his neck, there was a audible snap and his wriggling ceased. She paused. He was clutching something. Damasious knelt and prised open his fingers. It was ragged piece of cloth, red in colour and smelled of the same perfume she had noticed before. Damasious looked up at the building he had come from and suddenly realised whose perfume it was. Her hand went behind her back and drew Storm Fang from his sheath. It snarled in response, ready and willing to taste blood again.

"Damasious what are.." Amendera barely had the words out of her mouth before Damasious had activated it the weapon, its throaty grumbled strangely subdued as if it was aware of their need for stealth. Its effectiveness was not diminished however, aware of the bewildered looks from her Sisters Damasious hacked down the door in a shower splintered wood and glass.

On the other side she emerged into a open plan room, a small kitchen area lay in one corner and mattress on the floor in the other. A stair case led up on her right. Evidently there had been someone sitting by the door, he was naked too and as he struggled to get up from where his chair had tipped him, Damasious ran him through the sternum. She drew Storm Fang out, a spray of semi frozen blood trailing in its wake and hacked into the shoulder of the man descending the stairs to see what the commotion was. Storm Fang chewed through his torso and erupted from his groin, a flood of mulched innards spilled in its wake. Damasious stepped between his falling halves and ascended to the landing where she decapitated a third man, dressed only his underwear, who waited at the top. His head rolled passed her and bounced away down the stair case, thudding four times against the wood before it came to rest.

There were four doors but only one had light emitting from underneath. Damasious could smell perfume, blood, smoke, alcohol and semen. Her breathing became heavy as she approached the room. She rotated Storm Fangs blades once to dislodge any frozen blood from its casing and returned him to his sheath, bloodlust sated for the moment. She reached out tentatively for the door handle and pushed it open. Light spilled across her and she gasped in shock.

Tied with barbed wire by her ankles and wrists to a cross of metal. Her flesh covered in knife cuts, burns and bite marks. Dripping with blood and other human fluids. Breath wheezing from lungs and throat torn apart by screaming. Eyes glazed from life preserving drugs Damasious had seen a hundred times before in rooms like this. Hair ragged and missing chunks. Violated and tortured was Sister Ava.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

Her eyes begged release but Damasious could not move. Ava opened her mouth but no sounds came, just a dribble of blood.

"Holy Throne!"

Damasious heard Mira's quiet voice behind, then the sound of Rebecca vomiting.

"Ava!" Amendera stepped around Damasious and approached the stricken Sister. She was openly weeping.

Ava looked up, and Amendera placed her hand on her cheek. "I'm so sorry."

"Sister, it isn't your fault." Mira muttered. She stood close to Damasious, her eye liner trailing down her cheeks. Damasious took her hand and squeezed.

Amendera laid a gentle kiss on Ava's forehead and stepped back drawing her Bolt pistol.

"I'm so sorry." she repeated.

Ava nodded slowly the barest hint of a smile creasing her lips. "Send... me... home." she managed and closed her eyes.

Amendera choked back more tears and squeezed the trigger. Rebecca moaned. Mira turned to rest her head against Damasious shoulder. Damasious pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, feeling tears welling in her own eyes once more.

"We should leave..." Amendera trailed off, composed herself and said, "Someone might have heard that."

"We can't leave her like this." Rebecca sobbed.

Amendera unclipped a melta grenade from her belt. "No we can't."

By the time they reached the street the whole building was aflame and Amendera was shaking. Damasious wondered if shooting her own Sister had broken the woman. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the case but after a moment of silence the Sister Superior lashed out and punched the wall in front of her.

"I should never have left them behind." She finally said aloud, the flames casting solemn shadows on her perfect features.

Mira shook her head. "You had no way of knowing..."

"They're my Sisters. My responsibility!" Amendera snapped. "You all are."

Damasious put her hand on Amendera's shoulder and turned her. Amendera looked into Damasious eyes and saw the others Sisters pain, long years of regret and guilt. Damasious shook her head slowly.

Do not blame yourself for something you could not control, do not become like me.

She didn't say it, she couldn't but Amendera nodded. She understood. Damasious clenched Amendera's wrist and felt fingers tighten on her own in response. A warriors grip.

Amendera took a deep breath. "Everyone on this world must die. Whether it be by Bolter, chain blade or orbital bombardment, this planet will burn and it will bathe in heretic blood. Stealth is no longer a priority, we find the jamming devise and we kill anyone in our way . Let us avenge our fallen Sisters." She looked at Damasious. "All of them." she touched her finger to where Damasious had carved Kai's name into her arm.

Damasious nodded.

Mira drew back the slide of her Boltgun. "I'm with you."

Rebecca's face was pale but she shrugged. "As am I."

As if on cue a group of traitors appeared at the end of the street, drawn by the fire and smoke billowing from behind the Sisters. They stood in stunned silence, none of them were armed. Mira raised her Bolter and opened fire anyway. Blood mist filled the street, gore and bone shards erupting in geysers from ruptured bodies. Not one of them survived but the echo of Bolter fire took a long time to die away.

"They will be coming for us." Rebecca muttered.

"Good." Amendera snarled.

Damasious bared her teeth drawing Storm Fang from his sheath and her Bolt pistol from its holster.

Now there were shouts and footsteps in the streets.

"Where too?" Rebecca demanded, it sounded like they were being surrounded.

Amendera peered into the shadows and raised her pistol. She snapped off a shot and a body spilled out of the dark, a hole through his chest.

"That way." Amendera replied confidently and drew her power sword as she stalked away.

"Has she gone mad?" Rebecca murmured.

Mira shrugged, slotting a fresh magazine into her weapon. "Meeting the enemy head on? I like it." With that she began to sing and followed Amendera's retreating back. Damasious at her side. Rebecca smirked and hurried after them.

These weren't the armed priests the Sisters had encountered in the temple, Damasious mused as she hacked a man in half. He wore normal clothing, did not carry a weapon as such, just a knife he'd obviously grabbed from the kitchen. These were just normal citizens driven mad by the corruption of Chaos. Damasious almost pitied them. Almost. Storm Fang made light work of the rabble of angry townsfolk swarming around her. They carried fire pokers and brandished chair legs. It was embarrassing really. Damasious cleaved apart bodies with every swing. Frozen blood clattered against her armour where it became dislodged from a steaming Storm Fang. A shrieking woman came at her, in her hand a broken bottle. Damasious laughed at the absurdity of it and smashed the butt of her bolt gun against the woman's skull, she felt it cave in and the woman fell without a sound. Damasious shot the next man in the neck and separated his head from his shoulders. This was how a purge should be carried out. Up close and personal so the enemy could see the face of their executioner.

Mira's perfect tones cut through the angry screams of the traitors. She filled her Sisters hearts with vigour and divine light. Even as she cut swathes of people down with her Bolter her voice did not waver. Even more satisfyingly, it seemed to hurt the ears of their enemies. Damasious could see them twitching and clawing at themselves. This whole world was mad. Mira caught Damasious eye and winked. Despite herself Damasious could not help but smile seductively in response, the blood lust was upon her. All other senses were heightened with it, even her desire and Mira was a desirable woman.

Damasious side stepped another wailing traitor and buried Storm Fang down through his shoulder. His death screech was piercing but Damasious ignored it and tore weapon from his twitching body, utterly ripping him apart. Storm Fang barked and Damasious instinctively ducked, heeding the weapons warning. An iron bar whistled over her head. The Silent Sister turned ready to gut her attacker but as she rounded on him, his torso exploded, splattering her with hot blood. Damasious looked to her right and found Amendera staring at her with raised eyebrows, her bolt pistol smoking.

"You owe me one." she yelled over the din of Rebecca's Bolter.

Damasious rolled her eyes. Another one. Amendera had already saved Damasious life at least a dozen times but then the favour had been returned many times again.

Abruptly Mira stopped singing. Damasious saw her dragged to the ground as she attempted to re-load. Rebecca had become distracted by another group emerging from the opposite end of the street. Amender wasn't close enough to help. Damasious threw herself forwards, unwilling to see another sister fall. Storm Fang howled and she howled with it. She saw Mira's war knife flash, a body tumbled out of the fray but then her arm was pinned. Damasious cut down two more traitors in her way and barrelled into the press of bodies. She bowled three off their feet with the impact of her charge alone. Storm Fang cleaved through six traitors, spilling innards and blood across the ground. Damasious protectively stepped over Mira so the sister was between her legs and hacked into the crowd. There were screams and sprays of crimson as limbs were severed. Those that remained unscathed turned and fled.

Suddenly there was silence, save thing moaning of the wounded. Surviving traitors ran off into the darkness leaving their downed brethren behind. Damasious looked around her, at least four dozen, maybe more, traitors lay dead at the hands of the Battle Sisters. Blood flowed in the gutters like miniature streams and its copper stink filled the air.

"They flee the wrath of the Emperor!" Rebecca shouted. She loosed off a shot and a retreating traitor slammed into the ground, his lower back blown out in a shower of glittering liquids. "You all pay for what you have done!" Rebecca added and let off another volley into the darkness. At least one scream echoed back in return.

Damasious turned and clasped Mira's outstretched hand and hauled the Sister to her feet.

"Thank you." she grimaced brushing pieces of meat from her blood drenched armour.

Damasious shrugged.

Mira kissed her cheek. "I owe you." she bit her bottom lip and walked away.

Damasious stared after her. There was that guilt again.

Amendera re-loaded her Bolt pistol. "Come one. There's more work to be done.

* * *

"This is insane we are walking in circles. This city will be the death of us, its streets seem alive!" Rebecca moaned two hours after the battle ended.

Darkness clung to the place, thick and unyielding. They had encountered no one else since they burned the torture house down. Instead they had been wandering aimless and lost in the shifting maze that their enemies called home.

"I agree." Mira muttered. "We will find nothing if we do not make some kind of plan."

Amendera shrugged. "How do you fight something you cannot even see!"

"Make a plan?" Rebecca snapped, "I can't focus on my own hand before my eyes let alone devise a plan."

"This place fogs the brain." Amendera rested her forehead against a wall.

Mira shuddered. "It's like the walls are whispering at me."

They had been running in circles the city itself had seen to that. Through black alleys and through narrow roads that twisted like veins through a living, breathing being. Damasious could feel it crawling against her flesh. In some places the very air seem liquid. Roads twisted and changed. She barely noticed these things in truth, they were always in the corner of her eye. Her Sisters on the other hand were obviously feeling its effects.

Damasious sat down, resting her aching back against the cold stone and pondered. Amendera was never this unfocussed. Even when enraged her mind never wavered. Nor Mira or Rebecca. They weren't thinking straight and Damasious suddenly realised why. It was the Demon. Damasious herself had noticed a lack of true clarity in her thoughts but Storm Fang was always there to protect her from the full effects of the things presence. Obviously her Sisters had no such help, perhaps it had crept its way inside, changed their perception of things. Was it trying to corrupt them? Amendera had lead them to slaughter dozens of people, forsaking the advantage of stealth by giving away their position in an act of uncharacteristic violence. Damasious blinked and drew in a deep breath of stale air through her nostrils. Was there anything she could do to prevent this? Would her Sisters turn on each other? Turn on her? Damasious wasn't sure if she could kill any of them of that was the case. She grimaced, that wasn't entirely true. She knew exactly what she would do.

There was grunt inside her mind followed by an encouraging snort. Damasious licked her gums thoughtfully. Storm Fang whimpered and she felt a nudge against her spine. Damasious frowned, she didn't understand. Was it trying to tell her something? For a moment Storm Fang weakened its defence and the Demon crept closer but was forced back again by a savage howl as if Storm Fang was emphasising its point. Damasious felt it push her again. She looked up at Amendera who was leaning against a wall rubbing the bridge of her nose. She looked ill. Storm Fang whined and Damasious understood, her eyes widened. Was that possible she asked herself? Storm Fang barked an affirmative.

Damasious stood straight and crossed to Amendera, she drew Storm Fang from her shoulder. Amendera turned.

"What are you doing?" Her hand dropped to her Bolt pistol.

Damasious shook her head raising an open palm. She offered Storm Fang hilt first to her Sister.

Mira and Rebecca looked on in confusion. Damasious took Amendera's shoulder and nodded to the weapons grip. Amendera placed her fingers around the hilt, below Damasious own and the Silent Sister felt a pulse pass between them. Amender flinched but Damasious pulled her closer and shook her head. Amendera's eyes closed, exhaling loudly. Storm Fang snapped and snarled. Then as quickly as it had begun Amendera released her grip and backed off, shock upon her face.

"What happened? What was that?" she gasped fearfully.

Damasious tapped her temple and jabbed a thumb at the Cathedral.

"The Demon." Amendera breathed. "Your blade, it was in my mind. Is it protecting me?"

Damasious nodded. She turned to Mira and offered the hilt. Storm Fang grumbled in satisfaction.

"Wow!" Mira exclaimed as the deed was done. "Is that what you feel all the time?"

Damasious shrugged, smiling. Rebecca took the hilt.

"I should be repulsed, all of my training and our doctrine tells us to hate such weapons yet it is strangely comforting." Mira rubbed the sides of her head and sighed joyfully.

Storm Fang made a sound that was almost smug. Damasious smirked.

"I can think clearly." Amendera blinked rapidly. "I will not be lead astray by that thrice damned creature anymore."

Damasious returned Storm Fang to its sheath and folded her arms. She was satisfied for the moment that her Sisters were back to their normal selves.

Amendera looked around her, balling her fists. "We cannot be wandering blindly in this place. I fear the influence of the Demon has made us miss the obvious."

Rebecca made a clucking sound with her tongue. "Which is?"

"The location of the jamming device would be the most defendable place in the city." Amendera replied and pointed up at the cathedral.

"Oh you have got to be joking." Mira muttered.

"These people clearly aren't versed in the art of war but you'd have to be an idiot not see its strategic value." Amendera sounded furious and Damasious reasoned she probably was. They had all fell prey to the veil created by the Demon to confuse them. Amendera was not a weak willed woman, she'd be angry she had allowed herself to become so clouded.

Rebecca said as much, "An idiot or blinded by demonic possession."

Mira wrinkled her nose in disgust. "That's not funny."

"Either way." Amendera said sternly. "We're going back up. Though I fear our Sisters and perhaps Valten himself will have fallen to the same influence as us."

"We'd be dead were it not for Damasious." Mira said quietly. "I owe you another one."

Damasious half smiled.

Rebecca for a moment seemed lost in thought then said, "Perhaps one of us has already fallen."

Amendera's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Emilia. She has not been the same since we arrived. Perhaps the Demon has already taken her. In that room when we lay paralysed, only Damasious resisted and now we know why but if the thing got it's claws deep enough?" Rebecca chewed the inside of her mouth. "If she has turned from the Emperor's light..."

"Then it's not of her own choosing." Amendera cut in.

She turned away her finger going to her Vox mic. "Cardinal do you read me?"

Damasious listened for the reply in her own ear piece. Short range was still active, surprisingly, but there was no reply.

Amendera ground her teeth, "Valten can you read me? Carla? Ella?" she paused. "Emilia?"

The Vox clicked. An open link. Amendera glanced at Damasious her eyes watery with bitten back tears.

"Emilia this is Sister Amendera can you hear me?"

Silence for a few seconds, and then; "Yes."

"I'm not getting any reply from anyone else, what's your status." Amendera asked her voice masking desperation.

Mira and Rebecca shared a nervous glance.

Emilia said nothing she just breathed gently into the mic.

"Emilia?" Amendera insisted, "Respond?"

"And then there were four." Emilia replied and the link went dead.

Amendera didn't move. No one did.

Damasious felt her guts churn. Mira swallowed loudly.

"Oh Throne." Rebecca muttered.

Amendera looked to the skies. "If we find her, she's mine understand?"

The others nodded.

"Let's get to the Cathedral and end this!"

* * *

They decided to follow the river. It ran directly to the Cathedral, splitting the city in half. The going was still slow but now they had a purpose they made better time than before. Damasious couldn't shake the feeling they were heading into what would likely be their final confrontation. One that none of them would come out of alive. She didn't care for her own life, she hadn't for a long time but she hated the thought of her Sisters dying. Especially Mira.

And there again came the pang of guilt. Damasious hated herself for admitting it but she was slowly falling for Mira, not in the same way she had fallen for Kai but it still felt like a betrayal. In a way Damasious had always taken notice of Mira and had over the years shown more than a passing glance to other women but it had never registered in her brain because there had always been the thought of Kai. Lost and alone on some world without Damasious to protect her, Damasious' shame in that had lead her to take an oath of silence so that she may never make another promise she could not keep. Yet what she had believed had happened was never the case, her Sister had not been killed in battle. Worse she had been possessed and taken away into the Warp to live a life of debauchery and slaughter all the while looking for a way home to Damasious. Now that Kai lay dead by Damasious' own hand she finally had proper closure, even if the truth of Kai's fate had torn her apart inside. Now Damasious began to realise all the desires, however brief, she had felt for others and suppressed without ever realising they existed. Mira had shown her kindness and now it seemed she had desire's above friendship, Damasious was succumbing to her own body's needs. She was only human. The Silent Sister felt tears welling, her cheeks grew hot as she ran behind her Sisters. It was guilt, hurt and anger because of Kai. In her last moments she had begged forgiveness for her actions and told Damasious she had loved her. Damasious had forgiven her but would Kai show her the same kindness if she knew she had feelings for another? Damasious shook her head furiously. Kai was dead and she would never know. She gritted her teeth, this really wasn't the time to be thinking about it.

Hard shot and Las blasts smacked into the pavement ahead and the Sisters scattered for cover. Ahead grey robed priests were taking up firing positions in the narrow road. Damasious un-holstered her Bolt pistol. Storm Fang growled impatiently and Damasious silently apologised.

"Who wants to bet they tracked our conversation with Emilia?" Rebecca yelled as an auto gun clattered away on the hill above her. Pieces of stone exploded from the corner of the wall where she crouched.

"Now they know we've cut the Demon's strings they're going to try and stop us by force." Amendera replied.

"More pity them!" Mira retorted, leaning out to loose off a volley of Bolter shells. Two priests burst apart like ripe fruit beneath tank treads and the others ducked into cover.

Damasious snapped off a shot and decapitated another as he crossed the road. Las blasts spat back her and she got a face full of grit where they impacted against the brick work. Damasious wiped her eyes and spat.

"I count at least nine separate weapons." Rebecca yelled. She had a damn good ear.

Damasious popped out from cover again and squeezed off two shots. One caved in the chest of another priest and the second sent the others diving.

Across from her Mira popped the pin off a grenade. "Frag out!" she declared and lobbed it up the street.

There was thump then a wave of displaced air and dust, followed by screaming and scattered body parts. Rebecca and Amendera were on their feet and off into the cloud. Damasious rose from her crouched position. She saw muzzle flashes and heard more shouts of pain. With Mira at her shoulder she waited.

"Clear." Amendera called.

"That was easy." Mira replied, lowering her weapon.

"Resistance will be thicker closer to the target." Amendera re-loaded her pistol. "But this wasn't well organised, I don't think they expected us to come for them head on."

Rebecca chuckled.

"Whatever they throw at us we fight through it." Amendera urged.

"If everyone we face is either a mad citizen or one of these," Rebecca kicked a priests corpse. "Then I don't think we have anything to worry about."

Amendera rolled her eyes.

"Because the Demon under the mountain isn't in any way a danger?" Mira replied sarcastically.

Damasious smirked. It was good to see her Sisters back to normal. Fearless and resilient.

Damasious blinked painfully, she still had brick dust in her eyes and nose. She blocked a nostril with her thumb and exhaled sharply, then the other. Mira noticed and shook her head.

"Come here!" she said tearing a strip of cloth from her sash. "Close your eyes."

Damasious did as commanded and Mira rubbed away the dirt. She did it gently and carefully, and when Damasious opened her eyes again she found Mira's own storm grey gaze staring back, she was chewing the inside of her lip. For a moment neither moved then Mira blinked and turned away, her cheeks flushed. Damasious made a decision and caught her arm before Mira could walk away.

"I'm sorry..." Mira started but Damasious touched a finger to her lips.

She glanced at Amendera and Rebecca. Neither of them were paying any attention. Amendera had climbed onto one of the roof tops to get her bearings and Rebecca was watching the street, her weapon held half ready.

Damasious gently kissed Mira's lips but did not linger long enough for more. When she pulled away Mira's eyes were wide and shocked. "If we make it out of this alive..?" she swallowed.

Damasious simply nodded. Mira grinned, her eyes sparkling.

"Alright, if we follow this road up there's a t-junction, I think we need to turn left." Amendera dropped off the roof in a flurry of robes and hair. "How is everyone for ammo?" she asked pushing strands of her golden waves from her face.

"I'm good for the moment." Rebecca replied.

"Me too." Mira sounded chirpier already.

Damasious checked her stock and gave Amendera the sign for "Okay".

Amendera looked up at the stars. "The Canoness may be wondering what's happened to us by now."

"Was there a time limit on how long she should wait before sending another unit?" Rebecca inquired.

Amendera sighed. "Forty-eight hours."

"Wow." Rebecca murmured.

"Well we can't stand around here waiting." Mira said cheerily and headed off up the road.

"No we can't." Amendera replied with a wry smile, she caught Damasious eye who shrugged and followed.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

They hit the next line of resistance head on. Just under a dozen priests were attempting to set up a heavy weapons emplacement on one of the main roads that ran alongside the river. Damasious was the first over the half erected barricade, her hazel eyes blazing with hatred she fell into the group assembling the emplacement, heedless of the hard shot rounds ricocheting off her armour. She lunged left and right butchering three of them with precise strikes of Storm Fang. Limbs span away in trails of blood, entrails spilled across the ground in steaming pools. Where Storm Fangs bite fell there was only carnage. Mira and Amendera followed her a moment later, Amendera's power sword leaving streaks of white light in its wake. Mira had drawn her combat blade to conserve ammunition for the final push against the Cathedral. Rebecca covered from a rooftop nearby ready to warn them if anymore heretics approached the street. Mira was fast with her knife, she downed two with throat slashes, turning beneath the glittering arcs of rubies she buried the weapon to the hilt up through the next mans jaw. Behind Mira, Amendera separated a man from his head and another from both arms. She stepped into the next running him through the sternum and kicked his body backwards into the river. A hard shot grazed her cheek and she half turned, dropping to one knee. Mira stepped in front of her and threw the combat blade. It hit the cultist in the chest and sent him sprawling. Above and behind them, Rebecca fired twice killing two more cultists rounding the corner ahead of the melee. Damasious turned and blocked a las shot with Storm Fangs hardened casing, she smiled at the traitor as she advanced on him. The man charged her with his bayonet, screaming something unholy. Storm Fang split his body in two at the waist. Damasious regarded his fallen pieces with distaste. He still lived. She watched him scratch weakly at the cobbled road, his innards exposed and steaming in the cold night air. The Silent sister decided to let him suffer.

Rebecca lowered her aim, "Clear!"

Mira helped Amendera to her feet, she had a deep cut under left eye, blood dripped down her face and neck.

"You alright?" Mira inquired, eyeing the nasty looking wound.

Amendera spat, "He got lucky but not lucky enough. I'm fine." she nodded to Damasious as the other woman approached. "Looks like you got clipped too."

Damasious frowned and looked down, her left gauntlet was stained red. She searched for the wound and found a tear in the fabric between the gaps in her armour. She hadn't even noticed. A hard round had punched through the flesh just above her elbow and left a ragged trench in its wake. Mira was already digging in her pouches for a field kit. So far none of them had suffered wounds bad enough to warrant field meds. Amendera was dabbing her cheek with antiseptic pad while Mira fussed over Damasious. She started binding the wound with a bandage. Damasious winced.

Mira winked at her, "Don't be a baby."

Damasious pulled a face.

"It's starting to get lighter." Rebecca announced.

Damasious looked over Mira's shoulder. Far off in the distance, above the trees a pale blue sky was beginning to appear.

Amendera grimaced, her fingers still pressed to her cheek, "We'll have to move quicker or we'll lose the cover of darkness."

Mira snorted, "I don't think it matters whether its daylight or not. They know we're coming now."

Amendera inclined her head slightly and chuckled softly. "I suppose you have a point."

Damasious looked up at the Cathedral and estimated they were only a couple of blocks away now. The grotesque image in the stained glass window still made her skin crawl. On her back Storm Fang emitted a deep angry growl, like the first roll of thunder in a distant storm. In the back of her mind Damasious knew that levelling the planet would not be enough and that seeing the demon dead with her own eyes was the only way to be sure that this world was truly cleansed. That thought made her chuckle inwardly. Exactly how was she supposed to slay a demon? Perhaps with a unit of Grey Knights to back her up, but just four Battle Sisters? She supposed it was better to die trying than allowing the thing to go unchallenged.

Mira finished wrapping her arm.

"You need to be more careful." She whispered. "I want you to come back alive."

Damasious simply blushed but the thoughts of Kai still gnawed at her. In truth she wasn't even sure she could be with anyone else. So many years had passed since she had done anything more than hug someone. It was a thought that scared her, if she committed herself to another relationship would the memory and pain of Kai hold her back? Would Mira understand that Damasious would likely never speak to her? Or would Damasious finally consider her oath fulfilled if she finally put Kai's memory to rest? Could she put it behind her and move on? Damasious forced herself not to think of anything but the task at hand as the small detachment of Sisters made their way to the Cathedral. As they drew closer the air became thicker and thicker. Cloying and vile to breathe. Damasious could feel the hairs on her neck standing on end. There was witch craft going on here. She gagged, a sickly, sweet scent catching the back of her throat like she'd walked through a cloud of perfume. It was like someone had wrapped their fingers around her neck and squeezed, after a moment it eased but her eyes were stinging. Amendera was coughing too. Rebecca vomited as she ran but didn't slow down.

At last the great shadow of the mountain and Cathedral loomed over them, Damasious felt a pang of relief. They had made it at least, the question was, would they make it inside? Amendera ordered a halt by the corner of a house, the main road leading up alongside the river was open ground with no cover at all. A kill zone.

Irritated tears streaming down her cheeks Amendera crouched and gazed up at the doors. They were still open, the strange light inside glowing brightly. Behind Damasious, Mira sneezed. That strange scent was even stronger here. Rebecca's cheeks were green.

"I don't like the look of this." Amendera said, wiping her eyes on her sash.

Damasious nodded. It seemed far to empty. Why wasn't there anyone on the doors? Damasious had expected some kind of fixed emplacement. Barricades, dozens of armed priests. It looked like there was no one around at all.

Mira twisted her lip thoughtfully, "We can't just walk up to it, this has to be some kind of trap."

"Rebecca can you scout from the roof of this building? Get a better vantage point. They may have secured themselves in the door way itself." Amendera wondered.

Damasious rubbed her eyes with a thumb as Rebecca clambered up the side of the building, using a drainage pipe as a makeshift ladder. Mira covered the road behind them, sniffing and spitting. Damasious could only describe their reactions to the sour smell as being akin to an allergy.

Rebecca crouched on the roof and peered up at the Cathedral. No sooner had she got there a flare shot into the sky, trailing red smoke in its wake.

"They have barricaded the door way with the pews but I can't see anyone inside." Rebecca ignored the searing red light above her.

Amendera watched it closely. "What the hell are they signalling for?"

"Contacts on our six!" Mira shouted opening fire.

Amendera cursed, "Rebecca get down!"

Damasious turned drawing her Bolt pistol, so it was an ambush after all but not from the direction they had expected.

These men weren't the same kind of priests they had encountered before, these were zealots. They came as a screaming mass, men and women, grey robes tattered and torn, heads shaved and scarred with symbols that hurt the eyes to look upon. Some wore cages around their heads with needles that pierced into their flesh. Others had their lips stitched shut, some were shirtless with raw muscle on show where they skin had been flayed away. They carried various weapons, chains, flails, makeshift knives, clubs, anything it seemed that they could get their hands on. Damasious was repulsed by the very sight of them and her Bolt Pistol came alive with a series of solid thuds, each round killing or crippling a screeching zealot.

Amendera was on her feet, power sword in hand. "Show them no mercy! For the Emperor!"

They hit the Battle Sisters at full pelt, preceded by a wall of stinking body odour and the stench of dried blood. Damasious snarled loudly, this kind of combat was exactly what she was born for. Up close and personal. Storm Fang relished the moment, unleashing a howl louder than any before. Damasious joined in, earning strange looks from Rebecca and Amendera but she did not care. Baring her teeth Damasious threw herself into the fray and the red mist descended. She barrelled into the first line of zealots, Storm Fang held horizontally before her, she cut down four men in an instant, one swing cutting through four necks. Behind her she could hear Bolter fire, Mira's singing cut the air and Damasious felt her pride soar and fury envelope her heart. The very thought that these zealots would dare engage her in close combat deeply amused her. Storm Fang growled and spat, its teeth chewing through fabric and flesh with ease. Crystals of frozen gore scattered against Damasious armour with each strike. A chain tipped with a hook whipped towards her, scraping her breast plate. Damasious flicked Storm Fang one handed and cut the chain apart, her free hand lashed out to her left, caving in a man's face with a clenched fist. She ducked a wooden club and smashed her elbow into the man's ribs, as he fell she rammed her knee into his cheek and breaking the bone and loosening a few teeth. Storm Fang cleaved another man apart in a shower of hot blood, its teeth churning through flesh under his right arm and through his chest to rip free from his left collar bone. Another swing took a zealots head off, leaving his lower jaw to flap uselessly from his neck until his body realised it was dead and fell. A knife scraped across her back and Damasious ducked, shoulder barging the next man to the ground in the same move. She rolled over him, Storm Fang coming up first, its tip biting into the guts of another zealot, a woman this time, spilling her open in a torrent of crimson slush. Damasious turned to face her previous attacker, her left arm was throbbing where the bullet had gone through but ignored it. He wore a cage around his head, his eye lids forcibly kept open by pins, his mouth lipless and cruel. Damasious grimaced at the sight of him and rammed Storm Fang up through his chin as he stepped in to attack. The cage and his head were split in half with a sickening crunch and Damasious kicked his body backwards into the next man to run at her. He disappeared in a cloud of pink mist and Damasious turned to see Mira regarding her with an amused smirk. Damasious rolled her eyes and pointed over Mira's shoulder. The red head turned and blocked the zealots club with her combat blade, she fired her Bolter one handed at close range into the man's chest. Yelling in pain he was lifted into the air by the force of the shell slamming into his chest and then detonated, showering Mira in smoking strips of flesh and blood drizzle. Damasious parried a notched sword the woman wielding it hollering obscenities. She hammered her strikes hard and fast, her eyes wild with stimulant drugs. Damasious blocked each blow, Storm Fang taking chunks from the steel blade until it finally snapped. Rage and intoxication obviously clouding her judgement the woman threw the broken weapon at Damasious, who knocked it out of the air with a flick of Storm Fang, then she attempted to leap on top of the Battle Sister. Damasious was taken aback by the animalistic nature of the attack, the woman was cursing and drooling, scraping her nails against Damasious armour so hard they bled. Storm Fang barked as Damasious thrust it through the woman's chest and out of her back. Still the bitch kept clawing, Damasious snarled in reply and tore the weapon free, then stabbed in again, her forearms were soaked in blood. Finally the woman died, froth bubbling from her lips.

It seemed the ambush attempt was failing, these pathetic excuses for humans were no match for four veteran Battle Sisters even with their vastly superior numbers. Amendera was surrounded by bodies, all cleaved apart with precise, clean cuts of her shimmering power sword. Even as Damasious looked on Amender cut down another, slicing his head in half diagonally, from temple to jaw. Mira fought with her combat blade and Boltgun in one hand each, letting off short controlled bursts from her Bolter and delivering quick kills with her knife when they got too close. Rebecca too was faring well, her body count piling high in front of her. It only took another few minutes and the slaughter was done. Hundreds of zealot bodies lay strewn in the street. The river water in this area had turned a dull rust red with the multitude of corpses that had fallen or been thrown into it. Damasious finished off a man by crushing his windpipe beneath her heel.

"Alright." Amendera dropped an empty clip at her feet and slotted a new one into place. "Now we hit that damned Cathedral!"

"There can't be much left inside that thing. We must have killed most of this city's population." Mira gestured to the ruined bodies.

Rebecca made to reply but stopped. She frowned, taking a shaky step forward. When she opened her mouth blood ran over her chin.

Amendera started running towards her, "Rebecca!"

Mira raised her Boltgun but Damasious couldn't see what she was aiming at. Rebecca sagged to her knees.

Amendera skidded to a halt. "No! Don't you do it!"

From now dwindling shadows, Sister Emilia emerged with a knife that glittered ruby in her right hand. She smiled at Amendera and cut Rebecca's throat.

* * *

Amendera let out an incoherent scream. Rebecca toppled, her eyes unfocussed, thin streams of crimson spurting from her neck in time with her heart beat. Her body clattered to the cobbles, her spreading pool of life blood mingling with those already coating the ground. Damasious stared at the body in abject horror. Another Sister had fallen but by the hands of another Sororitas, it was unthinkable yet terrifyingly familiar. Damasious resisted the urge to shoot the Sister outright and she could see Mira struggling with the same compulsion but this was down to Amendera to handle. Damasious would not stand in her way and neither would Mira. Emilia giggled like a school girl. She had stripped of her power armour and wore only the torn remains of the tunic she had beneath. She had ripped off the sleeves and re-tied her ammo belt and pistol holster. Emilia had also scraped the rose tattoo off her cheek leaving only raw bleeding flesh with no bindings. Her grin was increasingly disturbing.

Amendera approached her slowly, "Sister Emilia, you are not yourself, lower your weapon we can help you."

Emilia spat, her smile fading instantly. "Help me? Piss off Amendera, you have no idea what I have gained."

Amendera activated her power sword once more. "Your mind has been poisoned..."

Emilia ignored her and looked at Damasious. "My questions about you were answered. I know why He knows your name. I know what that chain blade is and why you chose never to speak again. He knows you very, very well Damasious, it was incredibly enlightening. He wants me to bring you too him. Which is a pity because I wanted to kill you like I did this stuck up bitch." she jabbed a finger at Rebecca's body.

Damasious lip twitched, Storm Fang was wailing at her to attack the fallen Sister, she could feel him biting at her. She inwardly cursed, her fingers tightened around the weapons hilt.

Amendera's jaw clenched, "You know I can't let you live if you don't surrender. If there's anything left of the real Emilia in there just give yourself up..."

Emilia laughed this time, a shrill and awful sound that set Damasious nerves on edge. "What, for interrogation?" she clucked her tongue, "They'd kill me anyway and you damn well know that. No what I have now is far better."

"Its corrupted you completely then?" Amendera replied solemnly.

"If that's what you want to call it, I'd say I've had my eyes opened. You'd all know that if it wasn't for Damasious infernal Storm Fang!" Emilia licked the blood dribbling from her cheek off her lips.

Amendera hung her head, "Then you leave me no choice." She brought her power sword into a fighting stance.

Emilia rolled her eyes. "If that's how you want to play it."

Emilia dashed across the street faster than Damasious could follow and slammed into Amendera, knocking the Superior to the ground. Amendera slid across the cobbles, with a screech of metal on stone, her armour trailing sparks. Emilia bent her head sideways, Damasious heard bones crack in her neck. Amendera was on her feet. She threw herself at Emilia but her practiced sword strikes were unable to land a telling blow. Emilia moved like a snake, her body twisting and weaving around every attack. She began to laugh. She was toying with Amendera.

Mira moved closer to Damasious. "We can't just stand here! Emilia will kill her!"

Damasious glanced at Mira, her eyes were blazing with barely contained rage. She emitted a wet leopard growl. Mira backed off a step.

"Damasious?" she muttered.

The Silent Sisters blood was boiling, at the corners of her vision the red mist was creeping. Her veins throbbed in her arms, her heart sounded like an orbital bombardment in her ears. Her lips parted and the snarl that came this time was pure wolf. She hated Emilia with her entire being, her body ached to end the wretched woman, a disgrace to the Sisters of Battle, a murderer. Like Kai... Damasious felt hot bile in her throat. Kai was just like Emilia, weak and worthless, a traitor!

Across the street Emilia punched Amendera to the ground . Blood spouted from the Superiors nose and she was unconscious before she hit the deck. Emilia squeaked gleefully and licked Rebecca's blood from her blade she knelt next to Amendera, ready to execute the defenceless Sister.

Mira yelled something but it was lost in the fog of rage. Damasious ran towards Emilia. She leapt into the air as Emilia turned and landed on the Sister, both knees first, driving her to the cold stone. Damasious brought Storm Fang down for the killing blow, Emilia caught her wrist and slammed her palm into Damasious breast plate. The Silent Sister was airborne again but this time she landed sprawled on her back, winded and retching. Emilia vaulted gracefully to her feet.

"He wants you alive but I can always kill you and claim self defence." Emilia chuckled, "I don't think it matters that much to him, he has a body now anyway."

Damasious hurled herself at the Sister again, heedless of the pain in her chest. Emilia ducked and dodged each blow but Damasious was getting a feel of her speed and was getting closer with each strike. The traitor sister parried a strike with her knife but Storm Fang bit the weapon in half and scored a hit down Emilia's inner forearm, ripping away flesh and exposing bone. Emilia danced away with barely a hiss of pain. She eyed the wound thoughtfully and then laughed again. She opened her hands, claws began to grow from her finger tips.

"See what he's given me!"

Damasious punched her square on the jaw and Emilia reeled. As the Silent Sister came in for her next blow, Emilia lashed back, kicking her in the floating rib. Air and bloody spit exploded from Damasious' lips but she lunged back in on the offensive a millisecond later. Emilia blocked her downward strike, swatting aside the blade with the flat of her hand she lashed out with her claws and gouged two grooves along Damasious left cheek. The Silent Sister head butted her, breaking Emilia's nose in a puff of blood. Damasious then stabbed with Storm Fang and the traitor dodged but not far enough, Storm Fang chewed a hole in her ribs, spraying splintered bone and pulped flesh. Emilia roared, there was inhuman wail behind her voice. Damasious lunged in again but Emilia kicked her legs from under her. Damasious hit the ground and rolled, springing back on her feet to avoid the traitors claws as they rushed for her neck. Instead they scored jagged lines across her chest plate.

Emilia's eyes were wild now, bloody froth bubbled at the corners of her mouth. Her skin was white and seemed stretched over her bones. In her wounds her raw flesh was greying, her blood turning to something more like ichors. Damasious was inconsolable with anger and complete hatred for the Sister and she knew she needed to end this before Emilia turned into something far fouler and harder to kill. Emilia sprang at her, claws reaching her neck once more. Damasious caught her in mid air around the throat and tossed her aside. The traitor sister landed on her feet and dived at her again. Damasious missed her horizontal strike and Emilia wrapped her arms around her waist. Damasious felt her claws punch through her back plate and into her skin but not deep enough to hit bone. She slammed her elbow down on Emilia's back, then reversed her grip on Storm Fang ready to plunge the howling blade into the traitors spine. Emilia lifted Damasious off the floor and with a grunt tossed her into a wall. Stone cracked under the impact and the Silent Sister once again found herself fighting to breath. Emilia's knee hit her hard on the side of the head and Damasious tumbled over the cobbles, stars dancing across her vision. She was lifted again and thrown across the street. Somehow she held onto Storm Fang even as she bounced hard off the far wall and rolled down a flight of narrow stairs. She landed in a puddle at the bottom , brackish water splashing into her face. Damasious crawled into a crouch, she could feel her previously broken and reset ribs had been cracked again. Two of her fingers on her left hand were broken. Her cheek bone too. She spat blood. Behind her there was a roar of Bolter fire. Mira must have joined the fray. Even through her delirious anger Damasious felt a spark of fear. Emilia would easily kill Mira! The Silent Sister was on her feet again and bounding up the stairs intent on not letting that happen.

When she emerged Mira had crouched protectively over Amendera her Bolter spitting streams of death at Emilia. She weaved and ducked as she had against Damasious but one shot winged her and sent her stumbling. Damasious bellowed wordlessly and charged. Mira stopped firing her expression one of amazement, clearly she had thought Damasious dead. Emilia too looked stunned and it was all The Silent Sister needed to gain the advantage. She barrelled into Emilia, smashing her against a house, her head rebounding off the stones with a sickening crunch. She turned Storm Fang once, twice, slicing off Emilia's right arm, then the left. Storm Fang howled triumphantly and Damasious rammed the blade up into Emilia's rib cage. Thick black blood rushed forth, steaming as it came into contact with the ice cold Frost Blade and pooled at Damasious feet. Whatever the thing Emilia had turned into screeched at Damasious with a mouth of needle sharp teeth, its breath hot and foetid. Damasious snarled wetly in response, raising Storm Fangs tip and pushing. Emilia's eyes bulged, her face contorting with confused annoyance then exploded as Storm Fang thrust up out of her neck in a welter of stinking flesh and ichors.

Damasious stepped back from the corpse, breathing heavy. It grated in her throat and the movement pained her chest. She cleaned Storm Fang, spinning it twice to dislodge the frozen strips of meat that dangled from his teeth. It growled, satisfied. Her blood was still up but things were becoming clearer. She looked to Mira who stood wearily nearby, her Bolter held ready but not aimed. Damasious raised her hand, palm open. Mira nodded quickly and lowered the weapon. She still had fear in her eyes. Damasious didn't know what to do so she shrugged and gestured to Storm Fang.

Mira visibly relaxed. "It's alright. I understand. I think." She chewed her bottom lip.

Damasious shuffled uncomfortably, then Mira embraced her, a tear trailing a clean line in the dirt on her face.

"I thought I'd lost you before I even had you." she choked.

Damasious hugged her back kissing the top of her head but they needed to get to the Cathedral and finally put an end to this madness. She looked up at the towering mountain and sighed. She was weary now but that wouldn't stop her. Storm Fang grumbled reassuringly.

Behind Mira, Amendera stirred. She moaned.

"What?" she coughed.

Mira looked over at her but Damasious caught her arm and pulled her back. Mira was clearly surprised as Damasious leaned in and kissed her but after a moment she responded. Damasious held her for as long as she dared before reluctantly letting go. She gestured to Amendera who had sat up and was rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Mira nodded, "We'll catch up." she jogged to Amendera, "Don't you dare get killed before we get there!"

Damasious nodded grimly and turned her back on her Sisters.


	6. Chapter 6 and Epilogue

_**Authors Notes. As mentioned this is the sequel to Realm of Madness. Sister Insane is a short 12 part story of horror and violence. This story is finished and my plan is to release 2 parts combined into 1 every week after re-reading and refining it, meaning a total of 6 full chapters. As it was written in segments rather than chapters some may be slightly longer or shorter than others. This story contains some grahpic descriptions of violence so be warned. Anyways hope you enjoy, please let me know what you think.**_

* * *

Damasious could taste blood. Her boots thudded on the stones as they bounded towards the Cathedral entrance. Her ribs ground together painfully and her broken fingers were limp in her gauntlet. Her breath wheezed in her throat, the parallel wounds in her cheek bled freely down her neck. Her right eye was blackening and swollen. She spat and soldiered on, determined to finish the fight or die in the attempt.

Pews had been stacked against the Cathedrals wide entrance on both sides of the river that split the building in two. Damasious cleaved into them with Storm Fang, shielding her face from the tumbling splinters with her forearm. After a moment she stepped back and drew her Bolt pistol, impatience and anger getting the better of her. She emptied a clip into the thick wood, blowing it apart and opening a gap in the defence. She ducked back as las fire spat back at her from within and re-loaded her pistol. She snapped off a few shots and ducked inside. Its defenders were in short supply, the renegade Priest, Jyanheist stood behind the alter, cradling a stump and yelling at the four guards in the building with him. Damasious shot the few Priests down, sending one flailing backwards into the river. Only Jyanheist remained. She advanced on him, Storm Fang rising.

"Please!" he whimpered, tears rolling over his cheeks. "I didn't know what it planned..."

He was blatantly lying. No doubt the demon had promised him more riches than he could imagine. All the usual tricks and lies the creatures of the warp spin to keep their followers in check.

Damasious decapitated him with an almost lazy horizontal slash. His body hit the cream carpeted floor and stained it almost black as his life blood seeped into the fabric.

Now she stood alone now in the eerie pinkish glow of the chamber, it seemed to be coming from the horrific image that replaced the stained glass window. Storm Fangs throaty grumble echoed loudly in the cavernous room, drowning out the rush of the river. When she had first arrived here it had been as if all sound was muted but not now. The echoes were adding to her headache and Damasious could see darkness creeping at the edges of her vision. She was close to passing out but she had to stay conscious. She needed to find the Vox jammer and break it. The silent Sister stumbled, Storm Fang growled uncertainly and she could feel it nudging against her hand, it reminded her of a dog trying to wake its owner. She could feel herself slipping.

Then she heard clapping. Storm Fang snarled. Damasious turned to find Valten smiling at her from across the river. But it wasn't Valten anymore. In fact it was pretty clear he was dead, his throat was cut wide open to the air and his blood stained the entirety of his tunic. His muscles were bigger, he seemed taller and he was standing so his heels weren't touching the stone.

"It's good to look upon you again, this time with physical eyes, instead of through those of another." he said with a voice that wasn't his.

Damasious sniffed hard, swallowing blood.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Valten asked. Even as he spoke his shirt split at the seams, his face elongating, fangs protruding from his behind his lips.

Damasious gulped and shook her head.

The demon laughed and Damasious ears rang. "I remember you. I've been stuck down there for thousands of years, waiting for someone to bring an actual, physical body for me to secrete myself into and in that time I've had to find ways to entertain myself. I've watched and played games with people's lives, spreading my influence here and there, searching for those with heightened emotions to possess as my puppets."

Damasious eyelids were heavy, her vision blurred but she did not take her attention off the creature.

Valten bent double, his spine erupting from his back, thin spits of black blood spurting into the air, yet he kept talking. "There was a girl. Oh how desperately she wanted to return to her lover, an Adepta Sororitas, ashamed of her actions yet so deeply in love it hurt."

Damasious eyes grew wide, she suddenly knew where this was going and it made her feel sick to her stomach.

"I saw potential in her. I knew I could use her, she could have been something more than a plaything, so I gave her some of my essence. Secreted a little bit of my mind into hers. Oh my how her will was strong. Even though I was permanently attached to her she fought me every step of the way and even when I sucked her into the Warp she fought. All she wanted was to get back to you. Damasious The Ever Silent." Valten laughed again. "She fought so hard for me and against me. I made her do things your mind could barely comprehend. She was such a beautiful girl but she sullied herself at the hands of such hideous creatures."

Damasious vomited, her lurching guts hurt badly and there were flecks of blood in her bile.

Valten was now twice his original height, his face replaced by a white mask that lacked a nose and mouth, only a pair of black orbs for eyes. Long bone white horns grew from the back his head. His body was thin but insanely muscled and covered in swirling purple tattoos that hurt Damasious eyes. His legs were reverse jointed and ended in three toed claws. A long whipping tail trailed from his lower back, topped with bony protrusions like those that ran the length of his spine.

"You swore you'd never speak again and it was all for her memory, yet she gave herself to the Warp and all because she thought you'd understand." It said smugly. "I had so many plans for her but then you came along. Finally reunited with her and what did you do? You killed her!"

Damasious was on her knees, the things presence was horrendous. She felt like her body was being crushed, her head throbbed like it was going to split open.

"My essence was deeply engraved in her and when your wretched blade took her life and exorcised me it carried the wound to my physical form!" The Valten creature moved its hand to show her a ragged but healed belly wound like the one that had killed Kai.

"My perfect body! Ruined! I haven't forgotten. You've no idea how pleased I was to find you here, oh how winds of fate blow!" it sounded gleeful, like a giddy child getting a surprise gift.

"Of course the perfect insult would have been to change your body into mine as I have the Cardinal but since that's no longer possible I'll make you suffer instead and when I'm done I'll spread my corruption across the sector and further!"

Damasious gagged, her vision swam and everything hurt. She was going to die and she couldn't even defend herself. Storm Fang pulsed. Damasious felt a jolt along her arm. He howled in her mind, raging and snapping. Damasious heartbeat quickened, her eyes snapped open. Despite all her aches and the dull throbbing in the back of her head she struggled to her feet. She would not die on her knees.

The Demon chuckled. "Still defiant."

Damasious glared up at the creature. Storm Fang rumbled deeply, a sound that seemed to come from the pit of its stomach, if it had one, it reassured Damasious. She imagined it nuzzling against her back like a wolf might spur its pup to walk. She shook out her shoulders and braced herself.

With cackle the demon leapt over the river to stand above her, "I'm going to enjoy this!"

Its clawed fingers trailed pink sparks as they lashed for her. Damasious barely ducked, bringing Storm Fang to parry a blow that would have taken her head off. Its icy black teeth cut a groove in the palm of the demons hand but the force of the strike still tossed Damasious across the room. She felt like her entire arm was shattered. Though numb she was thankful she could still bend her elbow.

The demon stomped around, clutching its wrist, it still reminded Damasious of a spoilt child.

"Look at what that infernal weapon did to my hand!" it bellowed. "That thing will rot with you!"

It came at her again, this time whipping its tail to catch her ankle and pull the Silent Sister off her feet. Damasious landed painfully on her stomach, blood exploded from her lips and she coughed thickly. Storm Fang barked a warning and she rolled to one side as the Demon's heavy fist slammed into the stones where she had been lying. Grit bounced off her armour as she rose to her feet, Storm Fang coming around in a long back handed strike. It chewed through the Demon's forearm, in a gout of black blood that sizzled when it touched the cold floor. She ducked beneath its swinging tail and made to cut the thing off but the Demon kicked her in the back instead. Damasious felt another rib or two break and she flailed, screaming in pain, once again thrown through the air. She crashed into one of the chambers supporting pillars and landed at its base, her body wracked with sobs.

"Look at you!" the demon taunted. "So weak and pathetic. It's almost upsetting."

Damasious crawled to her knees.

"Almost." it reached to pluck Damasious off the ground.

She screamed at the pain her ribs but thrust Storm Fang up through its palm. The demon wailed, Damasious hauled the weapon this way and that, slicing apart the bones in the demons hand. With one final heave she wrenched Storm Fang out of the gaping wound, taking a finger off at the same time.

"You disgusting little wretch!" it screamed punching for her with its undamaged paw.

Damasious ducked the blow and it struck the pillar behind her, smashing huge chunks from the stone column. Grunting with the effort, Damasious rolled across the debris strewn floor and came up behind the demon. She stabbed in with Storm Fang, burying the blade in the things thigh. More acid blood gushed forth, filling her nostrils with its acrid stink. She twisted Storm Fang opening the tear wider.

Her vision went black and yellow stars exploded behind her eye lids. Damasious opened her eyes to find herself staring at the ceiling. She'd been whipped by the demons tail and it felt like her right collar bone might have been broken. Rolling onto her front she retched more blood.

"You should be dead by now." the demon sounded genuinely surprised. "Still it doesn't matter that you are alive, the longer you last the longer you suffer!"

Damasious could barely move and Storm Fang whined at her in desperation. It surged again pushing more energy into her limbs but Damasious could only drag herself to lean against the nearest wall. She cursed. I've failed, she thought angrily. Storm Fang snapped, he pawed at her whining and barking. Damasious ground her teeth in frustration as the demon stood in front of her clutching its damaged paw.

"I'll crush you!" it sneered raising a clawed foot. "Press your body into the ground nice and slowly so you feel every agonising second as your bones turn to powder and your innards spill from your ruptured skin!"

Damasious licked her split lips. She had just enough strength to raise her hand and give the demon a perfect two fingered salute. It chuckled at her.

Damasious closed her eyes, waiting to die when her ears were suddenly filled with Bolter fire and a screech from the demon. She snapped her head up, eyes wide and alert, to see Mira and Amendera striding into the Cathedral. Mira had a Bolter in each hand, Damasious could see her lips moving in song but it was drowned out by the roar of her dual weapons. Amendera carried her Bolt pistol and her power sword, she too was singing.

"What is this?" the demon screamed, raising a hand to shield his face from the explosive rounds.

Damasious noted with disdain that the Bolter fire wasn't damaging its flesh, it seemed Storm Fang was the only weapon that possessed the qualities needed to kill this thing. Mira and Amendera were serving only as a distraction but it was a distraction Damasious could use.

Strom Fang howling triumphantly in her head, Damasious dragged herself upright with renewed strength, given by the arrival of her Sisters. She began to run towards the broken pillar, her body screamed at her in protest but she ignored it and carried on. Her boots hit the broken edges of the column, giving her enough of a foot hold to run part way up the pillar until she was level with the back of the demons head. Kicking off the column and reversing her grip on Strom Fang, Damasious leapt through the air, howling as she fell upon the demons back. Storm Fang plunged down into the creatures neck. It screeched in agony, throwing its head back to shout its pain to the heavens. Damasious held on to Storm Fang, her weight pulling his churning teeth down the creatures spinal column. Black gore gushed from the tear and the demon thrashed, finally dislodging Damasious who was tossed across the room to land on the altar, smashing it into splinters. Making sounds that human ears should never have to endure the demon convulsed and began to topple. Its body began to dissolve as it fell, its stinking innards melting the stone floor where they landed. With one final conclusive shudder the demon fell backwards into the river producing a cloud of foul steam. Its death wail spread out like a shock wave, shattering the stained glass window and further on to smash every window in the city. Finally the noise died down and the atmosphere was left tinged with greasy ozone.

Damasious was sprawled on her back, blood dribbled lazily from the corners of her mouth, parts of her armour smouldered where she had been splashed with demon blood. Her hazel eyes were bloodshot, her lips cracked and stinging. Most of her body was numb but she had done it. She'd killed the thing.

"Damasious!" Mira appeared above her, tossing aside her smoking Bolters. She knelt down and cradled the wounded Sisters head. "Hang on. We'll get you out of here!"

Damasious smiled as Mira took her hand and held it tightly. She last few things she remembered was her earpiece crackling and realising there was no jamming device it had been the demon all along. In the moments between darkness she heard Amendera calling for an evac transport. She saw Mira's concerned face and felt the woman's gentle touch as she lifted Damasious off the ground and carried her outside. Damasious didn't remember boarding the Storm Raven or returning to the _Fidem et Ignis _awaiting in the void above.

* * *

Epilogue.

A Silent Sister watched the world burn. She stood on the viewing deck of the _Fidem et Ignis _alone. Her left arm was bound in a sling, her fingers had been pinned and her ribs reset. It was uncomfortable to walk and the brace around her stomach to keep her ribs in place, forced her to stand ramrod straight but Damasious refused to be kept in a bed. She needed time to think. Watching Dessinisima as it was obliterated by virus bombs and billowing clouds of flame had brought a strange sense of calm. The fires had been burning for two days and would continue to burn for weeks, perhaps months.

She knew now that her rage had gotten the better of her during the fight with Emilia. Damasious had compared the traitor to Kai and now not only did she feel terrible for it but she knew she was wrong. Kai's actions had been born of love and desperation and during Damasious confrontation with the Demon, she had learned that Kai still fought it's will all the way to the end. Kai was still technically a traitor but Damasious had already forgiven her and she hoped that where ever Kai was now she would forgive Damasious too. That thought had prompted another. Mira. Damasious realised that she needed to move on, put Kai to rest and carry on. Her sorrow and regret had made her ill, it had darkened her mind and it had almost broken her completely. Her feelings for Mira had proved to her that she still had a soul and that it could be healed. Only one other thought remained. Her oath of silence. Would Mira accept her even if she chose to remain silent. Damasious wondered if her Oath was now fulfilled in light of her realisation regarding Kai?

"I was told I'd find you here."

Damasious turned at the voice, her thoughts forgotten for the moment, to find Amendera striding across the chamber.

"I'm glad to see you back on your feet. Hospitaller Faye said you were up as soon as you were awake."

Damasious shrugged, it hurt and she winced.

Amendera smiled, leaning on the railing and stared out of the dome at the incinerated planet below.

"It feels good to watch that hell hole utterly destroyed." she said, her fists clenched.

Damasious nodded in agreement.

Amendera looked down at the deck for a long moment, her eyes were closed her mouth moving in silent prayer. Damasious knew she was saying her goodbyes and asking the Emperor to look after the Sisters they had lost. She put a hand on the Sister Superiors shoulder and squeezed gently.

Amendera stood straight, she sniffed, dabbing tears from her eyes. "Allria has been briefed. She doesn't need your account, I've given it to her. Though she may come to see you anyway, she's very impressed with what you did down there."

Damasious inclined her head to show her thanks.

Amendera smiled, "I didn't tell her anything about Storm Fang and neither did Mira. As far as Allria is concerned it's a simple frost blade. Without it I may well have ended up like Emilia, may the Emperor forgive her. It'll be our little secret. One of many I've had to keep over the years." Amendera looked solemn.

"Damasious. There is one thing that I cannot keep to myself any longer." she fidgeted with her robes for a moment.

Damasious was intrigued, she indicated Amendera should carry on.

"I knew about Sister Kai. Canoness Audeniana did too, that she hadn't been killed in action I mean, we knew she had turned and the K.I.A report was faked."

Damasious had not been expecting to hear that at all. Her guts tightened but only for a moment when she saw sorrow in Amendera's eyes.

Amendera continued. " Audeniana knew that you two were very close. She was concerned the truth of what had happened to Kai may have destroyed you. She was also concerned that Kai's influence may have spread, in other words she was worried you too may have been compromised." Amendera sounded genuinely ashamed of her words. She barely looked Damasious in the eye.

Damasious took her hand gave her a reassuring look. What Amendera was telling her wasn't surprising now she knew that they had known about Kai's fall from grace. Amendera hadn't done anything wrong but Damasious appreciated her honesty.

"When you were assigned to my unit I was asked to keep an eye on you. Make sure you were still loyal. I think you've proved yourself a hundred times over in the last few days at least and a thousand times before that."

Amendera sighed and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry that I ever worried about whether I could trust you."

Damasious rolled her eyes and smiled softly. She couldn't blame Amendera for harbouring some concerns, she was surprised Canoness Audeniana had chosen to hide Kai's fate but it no longer mattered. She pulled Amendera into a gentle embrace and found herself chuckling as the Superior awkwardly tried to avoid squeezing any of Damasious wounded body parts.

"On a brighter note." Amendera said, her beautiful features also turning into a smile. "I've been re-assigned to lead a Celestian squad."

Damasious expression fell slightly realising Amendera would no longer be her direct commanding officer.

Amender noticed and laughed, "I do however have two places to fill so I'm giving them to you and Mira. Welcome to the ranks of the Celestians Sister Damasious. It's only fitting since you took down a Demon by yourself." she looked Damasious up and down. "I'll give you time to get better of course."

Damasious smirked. She bowed slightly to show her thanks, as much as was possible with the brace at least.

Out of the corner of her eye Damasious saw a shadow in the door way. Her smile broadened. She turned to regard Mira, her flame red locks spilling across her shoulders, starkly bright against her black robes.

"I'm not interrupting anything am I?" Mira asked quietly.

Amendera shrugged, "No. I was telling Damasious about our re-assignment."

Mira nodded. "How are you feeling?" she asked Damasious.

The Silent Sister made a so-so gesture with her unbroken hand.

Amendera bowed courteously. "I'll leave you two alone." she smiled knowingly but said nothing more. Damasious blushed.

Mira watched Amendera depart and as soon as the door slid shut behind her she turned and embraced Damasious as tightly as she dared.

"Next time you're not going alone!" she sputtered, gasping back tears.

Damasious pushed her fingers into Mira's hair and held her head close to her chest. After a moment Mira broke the embrace, her eyes red.

"On the surface you kissed me. Damasious for a long time I've fought how I felt but not now. I need to know, is there..."

Damasious just rolled her eyes and kissed her like she had before. This time she did not break it early, she savoured it. Mira's hand rose to hold her cheek and The Silent Sister did the same. She rejoiced at the fluttering sensation in her stomach, the warmth of the other Sisters touch. After a long while Mira drew away but Damasious held her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment longer. Mira was blushing when she finally let go.

"I was worried you wouldn't feel the same." she admitted. "We'll need to keep it a secret. Though I think Amendera may already be suspicious."

Damasious mimed zipping her mouth closed and winked.

Mira giggled, "I suppose you can't exactly go telling everyone anyway. I just want you to know, I want you to stick to your oath. I may never hear your voice and that pains me but whatever caused you to take in the first place must have been powerful and I will not let you go back on that."

Damasious felt a weight lift and she sighed, relieved. At the back of her mind she wondered if Mira would always feel that way but for now she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time.

Damasious took Mira's hand and together they watched a world die.

* * *

_**Final Authors Notes. Thanks for sticking with the story. Hope you enjoyed it, please let me know what you think. This is not the end of Damasious' tale, there is more to come. Next in this series is a miniature offshoot called Plague followed by the true sequel, Daughters of Darkness. There are two as yet untitled stories to follow that too. All of which will be posted here as when they are finished. **_


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